Mr. Moli Hamit, a Toubou trader in Tabarakaten, was violently abducted in broad daylight by a group

Niamey, December 6, 2025 - Mr. Moli Hamit, a Toubou trader in Tabarakaten, was violently abducted in broad daylight by a group of foreigners and taken to an unknown location. Despite alerts from friends, the local Defense and Security Forces (FDS) did not initiate a search.

Hoping for his safe return, Mr. Hamit’s family reached out to a committee allegedly linked to the kidnappers. Initially promising assistance, the committee ultimately declared itself unable to act. According to unconfirmed sources, Mr. Hamit was reportedly executed, apparently solely due to his ethnic affiliation with the presumed perpetrator.

The situation worsened when, on December 2, 2025, a video surfaced showing the kidnappers brandishing weapons and threatening an entire community. Social media users close to the criminal networks circulated claims accusing the Nigerien army of complicity in Mr. Hamit’s death.

The incident underscores the growing insecurity in northern Niger, where the region’s gold wealth, particularly in Djado and Tabarakaten, has attracted both opportunistic criminal networks and rising ethnic tensions, severely threatening local stability.