Niamey residents describe horrific gunfire erupting near airport

Residents of Niger’s capital, Niamey, reported hours of heavy overnight gunfire near the city’s international airport, fuelling fears of a possible jihadist attack.

According to witnesses, sustained gunfire and several explosions erupted in the early hours of Thursday around Diori Hamani International Airport before gradually subsiding after several hours.

Authorities had yet to comment on the incident by Thursday morning, and there was no immediate information on the cause of the shooting or on possible casualties.

“Everyone was perplexed; people were confused. At first, we thought it was just firecrackers or an electrical fault, but then we were surprised and realised that this was not the case, that it was really a terrorist attack,” said Ibrahim Boubacar, who lives near Niamey airport and heads a local youth collective.

“Everyone was perplexed; people were confused. At first, we thought it was just firecrackers or an electrical fault, but then we were surprised and realised that this was not the case, that it was really a terrorist attack,” said Ibrahim Boubacar, who lives near Niamey airport and heads a local youth collective.

Another resident living near the airport described a night of fear as gunfire echoed across the neighbourhood.

“We were very scared. I had the children around me, each with prayer beads, and we prayed all night for Allah to protect us, asking every Nigerien to pray for peace to return to the country,” the resident said.

Niger, a Sahelian country regularly hit by jihadist violence, has been ruled for more than two years by General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the military junta that overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.