Niger: a prefect and members of his family killed during an attack in Torodi
Niger has once again been plunged into mourning by an attack attributed to jihadist groups.
During the night of January 4–5, 2026, the Torodi prefect, Captain Chaïbou Mali, was assassinated at his home, along with several members of his family. This was a targeted operation, carried out with extreme violence.
Located about sixty kilometers southwest of Niamey, near the Burkinabe border, the commune of Torodi lies at the heart of the unstable area known as the ‘three borders.’ This territory regularly faces incursions by armed groups, in a security context that is particularly degraded.
According to initial information, the assailants, heavily armed, launched a nighttime raid that left the occupants of the house with no chance to flee. The attack is part of a series of targeted actions against state representatives and civilians in this strategic Sahel region.
Nigerien authorities attribute this operation to the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM). Defense and security forces were immediately deployed to secure the area, reassure the population and begin the pursuit of the perpetrators.
This new episode illustrates the persistence of the jihadist threat in the southwest of the country, despite the military deployments in place.
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