A couple were killed in South-West Niger this week after armed individuals fired into the air inside a church, locals told AFP on Friday. ACLED, a non-governmental organisation monitoring conflicts around the world, said nearly 2,000 people had died as a result of such violence in Niger this year. Christians were attending mass in the church when armed individuals came in and fired into the air. Relations between Christians and Muslims in Niger are generally peaceful. Suspected jihadists are nonetheless blamed for attacks on churches in the western region of Tillaberi between 2018 and 2021, and the killing of 111 Muslim worshippers in Tillaberi this year.

Source: Punch December 26, 2025 18:22 UTC