At least 22 people have been killed in western Niger after gunmen on motorbikes launched an attack on a village in the Tillaberi region, reports say.
According to residents, 15 victims were gunned down during a baptism ceremony before the attackers moved to nearby areas and killed seven more people.“While people celebrated a baptism ceremony, gunmen opened fire, sowing death and terror,” civil rights activist Maikoul Zodi wrote on social media.
Local media outlet Elmaestro TV described the assault as a “gruesome massacre,” while the AFP news agency confirmed the toll through village sources.
Tillaberi, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso, has long been a hotspot of jihadist violence, with armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State launching repeated raids on rural communities.
Just last week, Human Rights Watch reported that militants had killed more than 127 villagers and worshippers since March, while also burning homes and looting property. The group accused authorities of ignoring warnings of imminent attacks and failing to respond to pleas for help.
Mr. Zodi criticized the lack of protection for civilians and urged Niger’s leaders to act decisively. “It is time for concrete answers, strengthen state presence in vulnerable areas, and show that every Nigerien life matters,” he said.
Niger has been under military rule since July 2023, when General Abdourahmane Tchiani ousted elected president Mohamed Bazoum. The junta, alongside military regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso, has expelled French and US forces, instead seeking support from Russia and Turkey.
Despite these shifts, jihadist violence in the Sahel region has continued largely unabated, with Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso still struggling to contain the escalating insurgency.
