{"id":64078,"date":"2025-09-28T02:35:27","date_gmt":"2025-09-28T02:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=64078"},"modified":"2025-09-28T02:35:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-28T02:35:27","slug":"gunmen-on-motorbikes-kill-22-at-baptism-ceremony-in-niger-amid-rising-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/it\/learn\/gunmen-on-motorbikes-kill-22-at-baptism-ceremony-in-niger-amid-rising-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Uomini armati in moto uccidono 22 persone durante una cerimonia di battesimo in Niger tra l'aumento della violenza"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n Gunmen on motorbikes reportedly shot dead at least 22 people at a baptism ceremony in an attack on a village in western Niger. The Sept. 15, 2025, attack happened in the Tillaberi region near Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group are active. \/ Credit: Sabrine Amoka\/Shutterstock<\/span>\n<\/div>\n

ACI Africa, Sep 18, 2025 \/ 11:54 am (CNA).<\/p>\n

Gunmen on motorbikes have reportedly shot dead<\/a> at least 22 people celebrating a baptism in an attack on a village in western Niger.<\/p>\n

Multiple media reports<\/a> indicate that the Sept. 15 attack happened in the Tillaberi region near Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group (IS) are active.<\/p>\n

In una Sept. 17 BBC News report<\/a>, a resident told the French news agency AFP that the attackers killed 15 people at the baptism ceremony before moving on and killing seven others.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce more, the Tillab\u00e9ri region, in the department of Ouallam, village of Takoubatt, has been struck by barbarity, plunging innocent families into grief and desolation,\u201d local civil rights activist Maikoul Zodi said in a Sept. 16 Facebook post<\/a>. \u201cAs villagers gathered to celebrate a baptism ceremony, armed men opened fire, sowing death and terror. As a civil society actor, I bow before the memory of the victims and express my full solidarity with the bereaved families and the community of Takoubatt.\u201d<\/p>\n

The civil rights activist went on to question why civilians were still being exposed to such insecurity and urged the government to prioritize the safety and dignity of citizens.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe security and dignity of citizens must be an absolute priority,\u201d he said, and continued: \u201cIt is time to provide concrete answers, to strengthen the presence of the state in vulnerable areas, and to show that every Nigerien life matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Niger\u2019s authorities have acknowledged an attack in the area but have yet to release any casualty figures.<\/p>\n

Jihadist violence in Niger continues to escalate, with rights groups and local voices denouncing the failure of authorities to protect civilians more than a year after the military seized power, according to the BBC report.<\/p>\n

The report further indicates that the mounting insecurity was on display again on Sept. 10 when 14 Nigerien soldiers were killed in an ambush in the Tillab\u00e9ri region.<\/p>\n

In its weekly bulletin, the army said the troops had been deployed after reports of a cattle theft but were instead trapped in what it described as an \u201cambush.\u201d<\/p>\n

Casualty figures are difficult to independently verify due to restricted access to conflict zones and fears of reprisals among witnesses.<\/p>\n

Human Rights Watch<\/a> ha riferito<\/a> that armed groups have stepped up attacks since March, killing at least 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers; homes have been looted and burned down.<\/p>\n

The watchdog accused Nigerien authorities of ignoring villagers\u2019 pleas for help and failing to respond to repeated warnings of impending raids.<\/p>\n

Niger has been under military control since Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani<\/a> ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum<\/a> in July 2023, pledging to restore security. Yet the violence has persisted.<\/p>\n

A newly formed pro-democracy coalition in Niger denounced what it calls the failure of the ruling military authorities to address the country\u2019s worsening insecurity, following the Sept. 10 deadly attacks.<\/p>\n

The coalition, Cadre de Lutte contre les D\u00e9rives du Niger (Forum for Combating Abuses in Niger), was officially launched on Sept. 12, bringing together civil society leaders, journalists, jurists, and researchers committed to resisting the current regime.<\/p>\n

In its first statement<\/a>, the group demanded the organization of free and transparent elections, the reinstatement of political parties and unions dissolved by the junta, and the release of ousted President Bazoum<\/a> alongside all other political prisoners.<\/p>\n

Questa storia <\/em>\u00e8 stata pubblicata per la prima volta<\/em><\/a> da ACI Africa, partner giornalistico di CNA in Africa, ed \u00e8 stato adattato da CNA.<\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/266643\/gunmen-on-motorbikes-kill-22-at-baptism-ceremony-in-niger-amid-rising-violence<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gunmen on motorbikes reportedly shot dead at least 22 people at a baptism ceremony in an attack on a village in western Niger. The Sept. 15, 2025, attack happened in the Tillaberi region near Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group are active. \/ Credit: Sabrine Amoka\/Shutterstock [\u2026]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":64077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[1064],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-64078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-islam"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/CNA_LOGOredblk-159.png?fit=2692%2C752&quality=69&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":69973,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/it\/learn\/nigeria-no-longer-safe-for-children-catholic-bishop-says-after-abduction-of-25-girls\/","url_meta":{"origin":64078,"position":0},"title":"Nigeria \u2018no longer safe for children,\u2019 Catholic bishop says after abduction of 25 girls","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Dicembre 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Bishop Bulus Yohana Dauwa of Nigeria\u2019s Diocese of Kontagora. 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