At least 22 villagers were killed by gunmen on motorbikes in Niger’s western Tillaberi region on Monday, local sources and media reported. Most of the victims had gathered for a baptism ceremony in Takoubatt village, near the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali.
According to a resident who spoke to AFP under anonymity, 15 people were first killed at the baptism, before the attackers struck again on the outskirts of the village, killing another seven.
Local outlet Elmaestro TV described the killings as a “gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people cowardly killed without reason or justification.”
Condemning the massacre, Nigerien human rights activist Maikoul Zodi wrote on social media:
“Once again, the Tillaberi region has been struck by barbarism, plunging innocent families into mourning and despair.”
The attack highlights the persistent insecurity in the Tillaberi region, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) have been active for years.
Despite a large army presence, Niger’s military junta — which seized power two years ago — has struggled to stem the violence. Just last week, 20 Nigerien soldiers were killed in a separate attack in the same region.
Human Rights Watch urged authorities to “do more to protect civilians”, warning that the IS group alone has summarily executed more than 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers in Tillaberi across five major attacks since March.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) also estimates that around 1,800 people have been killed in Niger since October 2024, three-quarters of them in Tillaberi.
Niger, along with Burkina Faso and Mali, has expelled French and American forces that had been supporting local armies against jihadist insurgents. The juntas in the three Sahel countries insist on pursuing what they call a “sovereignist policy”, even as the security situation deteriorates.
