Gunmen Kill 22 in Niger Baptism Ceremony Attack

Gunmen riding on motorbikes have killed 22 villagers in western Niger, most of them at a baptism ceremony, reports said yesterday.

The attack took place on Monday in Takoubatt, a village in Tillaberi region, an area bordering Burkina Faso and Mali where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) operate.

A resident, who pleaded anonymity for security reasons, said the assailants first stormed the baptism gathering and opened fire.

“Fifteen people were killed first at a baptism ceremony in Takoubatt village. The attackers then went to the outskirts of Takoubatt where they killed seven other people,” the resident told AFP.

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

“Once again, the Tillaberi region has been struck by barbarism, plunging innocent families into mourning and despair,” Nigerien human rights campaigner Maikoul Zodi said on social media.

The Tillaberi region has been one of the hardest hit by insurgency despite a heavy military presence. The junta, which seized power two years ago, has been battling to contain jihadists but attacks have persisted.

Only last week, about 20 soldiers were killed in the same region.

Human Rights Watch has called on the Niger authorities to “do more to protect” civilians, noting that IS fighters had “summarily executed” more than 127 villagers and worshippers in Tillaberi in five attacks since March.

Conflict monitoring group ACLED also reported that about 1,800 people have been killed in Niger since October 2024, with Tillaberi accounting for three-quarters of the casualties.