Date: September 29, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
A pregnant woman who was reportedly among hundreds of Nigerian residents abducted during an attack in Niger State has allegedly lost her newborn baby after giving birth while in captivity without adequate food, healthcare or other basic necessities, according to a report by SaharaReporters.
The woman was reportedly abducted from the Dekara District in Borgu Local Government Area during an August 21 attack on communities and Muslim worshippers who were observing Friday prayers.
SaharaReporters said it obtained a video showing the woman sitting among other displaced women and children in a bush. A narrator in the footage alleged that the woman had recently given birth after spending time in captivity and that her newborn died because she did not have sufficient food or nutrients.
According to the narrator, the woman gave birth about 15 days before the video was recorded and the baby did not survive.
The footage also contained claims about the number of people who were allegedly taken into the forest following the attacks. The narrator challenged statements attributed to Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago that the number of displaced residents was far lower than figures circulating in the community.
The narrator alleged that hundreds of women and children were among those displaced and taken into the bush, in addition to men.
The reported death of the newborn has intensified concerns about the humanitarian conditions facing people who were abducted or displaced following the attacks, particularly pregnant women, children and other vulnerable residents who may have been without regular access to food, shelter and medical care.
The incident has also exposed conflicting accounts over the scale of the reported mass abductions in the Dekara District.
A document previously obtained by SaharaReporters reportedly contained the names of 547 people alleged to have been abducted during the August 21 attacks. The names were reportedly drawn from five communities in the district — Dekara, Kpenya, Giagbasso, Gbenji and Gbebara.
According to the document, 88 alleged victims were listed from Dekara, nine from Kpenya, 104 from Giagbasso, 341 from Gbenji and five from Gbebara, producing a total of 547 people. The document reportedly stated that the whereabouts and conditions of those listed remained unknown as of September 24.
The community figure differs substantially from figures previously cited by government officials.
Governor Bago reportedly said 33 people were kidnapped from a mosque and another 30 from a market, putting the total at 63. He described reports of more than 500 people being abducted as “social media hype” and warned against misleading residents.
The chairman of Borgu Local Government Area, Mohammed Nasir Abdullahi, also reportedly put the number of abducted people at slightly more than 60.
Residents from the affected communities, however, subsequently produced the list of 547 names, which was reportedly signed by Zubairu Umar, the Youth President of Dekara District. The list included women, children, religious leaders, village heads and other residents.
The contents of the community list have not been independently verified as an official government register, leaving the precise number of people abducted in the attacks unresolved.
The August 21 attack reportedly involved armed men invading communities in the Dekara District, including Kpenya, Giagbasso, Gbenji and Gbebara, while Muslim residents were observing Friday prayers.
The latest video has renewed attention on the welfare of people who were reportedly held in the forest and those who have since escaped or been rescued. The alleged death of the newborn has particularly highlighted concerns about the lack of access to maternal healthcare, adequate nutrition and basic humanitarian assistance during prolonged displacement.
The incident comes amid continuing insecurity in parts of Niger State, where armed groups have carried out attacks and abductions targeting rural communities. The conflicting figures surrounding the Dekara incident have also made it difficult to establish the full scale of the reported abductions and the number of residents who remain missing.
SaharaReporters' report did not independently establish the circumstances surrounding the newborn's death. The account was based on the video and claims made by the narrator, while the broader number of alleged abductees remains disputed between community sources and government officials.