Tinubu orders manhunt after mass abductions in Niger state villages

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has directed security forces to hunt down the armed groups behind coordinated attacks on four remote villages in Niger state that left dozens dead and may have resulted in hundreds of abductions.

The assaults took place last Friday in the Borgu area near the border with Benin, with gunmen reportedly wearing military-style attire striking the communities of Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka. Residents said several mosques were hit at the same time while worshippers were gathered for prayers.

Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said more than 40 people were killed, though officials cautioned the death toll had yet to be confirmed. A local youth leader estimated that up to 500 people could have been taken, a figure that remains unverified. No ransom demands have surfaced so far.

The president's response came after the captors circulated footage on social media appearing to show some of the hostages seated in a forest. The youth leader, who declined to be named, told the BBC he recognized numerous faces from his own community in the clip, including an elderly man from Gidan Zana he described as a grandfather figure. He said families who identified loved ones felt some relief knowing they were alive.

Authorities initially believed bandits — criminal gangs notorious for mass kidnapping and ransom extortion across Nigeria's north-west and middle belt — were responsible for the raids. A local official also disclosed that the attackers laid improvised explosive devices along the routes they used to march captives into the forest; one teenage boy was killed when a device went off as he attempted to flee.

In a statement released through spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu condemned what he called a cowardly assault on defenceless citizens, describing the perpetrators as enemies of peace and humanity who would not escape justice. The president extended condolences to bereaved families, and some wounded survivors are being treated in hospital.

The violence underscores deteriorating security in Borgu, which shares boundaries with Kebbi and Kwara states as well as Benin. Earlier this month, police announced the rescue of 145 people kidnapped from four other villages in the same area. Local authorities have also warned about expanding jihadist activity in north-western Nigeria, reporting that fighters have recently entered border communities and imposed religious restrictions on residents.

Many villagers have now abandoned their homes altogether, according to a regional blogger, seeking safety in neighbouring states or across the border in Benin.