President Bola Tinubu initiated a manhunt following coordinated attacks on four villages in remote Niger state carried out by armed kidnappers. The assaults occurred last Friday across the communities of Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida, and Masaka, with reports indicating the gunmen targeted multiple mosques during prayer times simultaneously.
Local witnesses estimated approximately 500 individuals may have been taken, though this figure remained unconfirmed. Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun reported that more than 40 people were killed in the attacks, though final casualty figures were still being determined. The perpetrators, described as wearing military-style clothing, have been suspected by authorities to be criminal gang members involved in kidnapping and extortion activities across various regions of Nigeria.
The kidnappers subsequently uploaded video footage to social media purportedly showing abducted individuals gathered in a forest setting. A local youth leader identified several community members in the video, noting that families were relieved to know their missing relatives were alive, though concerns remained regarding those with no information about their status. Some survivors were receiving medical treatment for serious injuries sustained during the attacks.
Local officials reported that improvised explosive devices were planted throughout affected areas as abductees were removed into the forest. A teenage boy died when one such device detonated as he attempted to escape. The violence prompted many residents to flee their homes and seek shelter in neighboring states or across the border in Benin.
In an official statement, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga conveyed Tinubu’s condemnation of the attacks and assurances that perpetrators would face justice. The incident marked another escalation in security concerns affecting the Borgu area, which borders multiple states and international boundaries. Earlier that month, authorities reported rescuing 145 people from abductions in four other nearby villages in the region.
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