On September 15, 2025, gunmen riding motorbikes launched a brutal attack on a baptism ceremony in Takoubatt village, located in Niger’s volatile Tillabéri region, approximately 80 km from Ouallam and 60 km from Tondikwindi. Eyewitness accounts and local sources reported that the assailants arrived swiftly and opened fire indiscriminately on the gathered villagers, killing at least 15 people on the spot during the religious event. The attackers, suspected to be jihadist militants affiliated with al-Qaeda or the Islamic State, then proceeded to the outskirts of the village, where they executed seven more civilians, bringing the total death toll to 22.

Local media outlet Elmaestro TV described the incident as a “gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people cowardly killed without reason or justification,” while Nigerien human rights activist Maikoul Zodi condemned it on social media as an act of barbarism that plunged families into mourning and despair. This assault highlights the ongoing insecurity in the area, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso, where such groups have exploited porous borders to conduct hit-and-run operations.