Gunmen on motorbikes opened fire at a baptism ceremony in western Niger on September 16, 2025, killing 22 people in an attack that highlights the ongoing security crisis plaguing the Sahel region. The assault occurred in the Tillabéri region, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso, according to reports from local residents and civil rights activists.
A resident told French news agency AFP that 15 people were killed at the baptism ceremony before the attackers moved to other locations and killed seven additional victims. Local civil rights activist Maikoul Zodi confirmed the incident on social media, stating that “while people celebrated a baptism ceremony, gunmen opened fire, sowing death and terror.”
Niger’s military government confirmed that an attack occurred in the area but has not released official casualty figures. The attack represents the latest in a series of escalating jihadist violence that has plagued the region since the military took control of the country in 2023.
Local media outlet Elmaestro TV reported what it described as a gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people killed without reason or justification. The Tillabéri region has become a focal point for attacks by groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, making it one of the most dangerous areas in the country.
The attack comes just one week after Human Rights Watch reported that jihadist groups have increased their attacks in Niger since March 2025, resulting in the summary killing of over 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers. The human rights organization also documented that dozens of homes have been looted and burned during the same period.
Human Rights Watch criticized Niger’s authorities for failing to adequately respond to warnings of impending attacks and ignoring calls for help from villagers in vulnerable areas. The group’s report highlighted the growing inability of the military government to protect civilians in remote regions where jihadist groups operate with increasing boldness.
The baptism ceremony attack occurred just days after another deadly incident in the same region. On September 11, 2025, 14 Nigerien soldiers were killed in an ambush in Tillabéri, according to the army’s weekly bulletin released on September 14. The military said one of its units had been deployed following reports of cattle theft by armed men, but the operation turned into an ambush.
Independent verification of casualty numbers in such attacks remains difficult due to access restrictions and fear of reprisals among witnesses and local media. The remote nature of many targeted communities and the ongoing security situation make accurate reporting challenging for both local and international journalists.
Zodi questioned why civilians continue to face such insecurity and urged the government to prioritize citizen safety. He called for concrete answers, strengthened state presence in vulnerable areas, and emphasized that every Nigerien life matters. His statements reflect growing frustration among civil society leaders about the government’s security response.
Niger has been under military control since 2023, when General Abdourahmane Tchiani deposed the country’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. The military government has struggled to contain the jihadist insurgency that has spread across the Sahel region, affecting multiple countries in West Africa.
The country’s neighbors, Burkina Faso and Mali, face similar challenges from the same jihadist insurgency and are also ruled by military leaders who have similarly struggled to contain the violence. All three nations have expelled French and US forces that were previously involved in counterterrorism operations against jihadist groups operating across the region.
The three military-led governments have scaled back their ties with Western partners and formed an alliance to fight the jihadist threat together. They have turned to Russia and Turkey for their security needs, seeking alternative partnerships to address the ongoing violence.
Despite these new security arrangements and the formation of regional cooperation agreements, the violence has continued to escalate. The attack on the baptism ceremony demonstrates that jihadist groups maintain their ability to strike civilian targets in areas where government presence remains limited.
The Sahel region has become one of the world’s most dangerous areas for civilian populations, with attacks on religious ceremonies, schools, and markets becoming increasingly common. The targeting of a baptism ceremony reflects the groups’ strategy of attacking soft civilian targets to spread terror and undermine government authority.
