Militants kill 22 villagers during ceremony in Niger

Gunmen on motorbikes killed 22 villagers in western Niger during an attack on September 15, most of them gathered for a baptism ceremony, according to Arab news via AFP.

Local media and community sources reported that the assault took place in Tillaberi, a region on the border with Burkina Faso and Mali, where armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Daesh have entrenched themselves.

Residents explained that the attackers struck first at a baptism in Takoubatt village, killing 15 people. “The attackers then went to the outskirts of Takoubatt where they killed seven other people,” one resident said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.

Nigerien outlet Elmaestro TV described a “gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people cowardly killed without reason or justification.”

The incident has deepened anguish in a region repeatedly targeted by extremist violence. Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented at least five attacks in Tillaberi since March 2025 in which fighters “summarily executed over 127 villagers and Muslim worshipers, and burned and looted dozens of homes.” Witnesses told the organisation that the Nigerien army failed to respond to warnings and ignored villagers’ pleas for protection. HRW leaders have called on Niger’s government to urgently overhaul protection strategies and establish more effective early warning systems.

Despite a significant military presence, Niger’s ruling junta has struggled to maintain control over Tillaberi since taking power two years ago. The army continues to suffer heavy losses this year, highlighting the persistent challenges in securing the region against well-armed extremist groups.

The violence also highlights shifting regional dynamics, as Niger, together with neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, has moved to reduce French influence by expelling French and American troops that previously assisted in countering jihadist insurgencies. With these foreign forces withdrawn, the responsibility for security now falls almost entirely on Niger’s overstretched domestic military.

As the killings in Takoubatt demonstrate, the combination of entrenched extremist groups, weakened state control, and the absence of external military allies leaves civilians in western Niger increasingly exposed to cycles of violence.