By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Save Nigeria Group USA (SNG-USA) has called for an immediate search-and-rescue operation following reported coordinated attacks and mass abductions in rural communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The group said the attacks occurred on Friday, August 21, 2026, after Muslim prayers and reportedly affected Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida, Masaka and nearby Kpenya communities.

According to SNG-USA, local sources have reported that more than 40 people may have been killed and over 100 abducted, although it stressed that the figures remained subject to verification.

The organisation therefore urged Nigerian authorities to establish and publicly release an authoritative account of those killed, injured and missing.

“This is a deeply disturbing assault on innocent Nigerian civilians who were simply going about their lives and exercising their right to worship in peace,” SNG-USA President, Stephen Osemwegie, said.

Osemwegie added that the identity or religion of the victims should not determine the urgency of the government's response.

“Whether the victims are Christians, Muslims, or followers of any faith, every Nigerian has the fundamental right to worship, live, work and raise a family without being hunted, abducted or killed,” he said.

The group said the reported abductions highlighted the worsening security challenges confronting rural communities and warned against allowing mass kidnapping and attacks on civilians to become normal.

“We cannot normalize the kidnapping of entire communities, the killing of civilians and the transformation of Nigeria’s rural areas into territories where criminal and extremist groups operate with impunity,” Osemwegie said.

SNG-USA called on the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police and other security agencies to immediately launch a coordinated, intelligence-led operation to locate and rescue those reportedly abducted.

It also urged the authorities to provide families of victims with regular and credible information on rescue efforts.

The organisation further called for stronger security arrangements in remote communities, including consideration of what it described as constitutionally grounded decentralised policing and properly regulated state and local security structures, subject to legal authority, professional standards and human-rights safeguards.

It also urged security agencies to strengthen surveillance and intelligence-sharing along the border corridors around Borgu, noting the area's proximity to Kebbi and Kwara states as well as the Republic of Benin.

SNG-USA further appealed for expanded security cooperation between Nigeria, the United States and other international partners, particularly in intelligence sharing, counterterrorism training, border security, aerial surveillance and forensic capabilities.

The group said humanitarian support would also be needed for survivors and families affected by the attacks, including food, water, medical assistance, temporary shelter and psychosocial support.

It stressed that the reported incident should serve as a warning that Nigeria's security crisis could not be addressed solely through statistics.

“Behind every missing person is a family waiting for a loved one. Behind every killing is a community grieving. Behind every displaced household is a future disrupted,” the organisation said.

SNG-USA urged the Federal Government to treat the Borgu incident with urgency, recover those abducted, investigate the attacks and prosecute those found responsible.

It also called on the international community to support Nigeria's efforts against terrorism, violent extremism, organised kidnapping and criminal violence.