Chad Reports Seven Abductions by Boko Haram, One Fatality in Niger Incident

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Suspected jihadists have kidnapped seven Chadians in neighbouring Niger, one of whom has been killed, Chad’s embassy said on Friday.

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Since taking power in a 2023 coup, Niger’s military junta has struggled to stem extremist violence that has plagued several parts of the west African country for nearly a decade.

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In the southeast, near the border with Chad, Niger faces jihadist attacks from Boko Haram and its rival splinter faction, the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP).

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“Seven of our compatriots were abducted by… Boko Haram” on the road between N’Guigmi and Daboua, near the Chad border, the Chadian embassy in the Nigerien capital Niamey said in a statement published on Facebook on Friday.

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“One of them unfortunately lost his life in particularly tragic circumstances,” it added, without giving details.

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The kidnappings took place on Tuesday near the restive Lake Chad area, which straddles Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

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The region serves as a sanctuary for both Boko Haram and ISWAP, from which both launch attacks across the four countries.

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In 2015, the four countries reactivated a counterinsurgency force around Lake Chad, initially created in 1994, that is known as the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

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Niger left in 2025 due to tensions between the participating states.

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In March, the junta in Niger said it was setting up civilian militias to help the army fight anti-government armed groups.

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