President Bola Tinubu has ordered Nigeria’s security forces to track down gunmen accused of killing more than 40 people and abducting residents in four villages in Niger State.
The attacks happened last Friday in the remote Borgu area, close to Nigeria’s borders with Benin, Kebbi and Kwara states. Residents said several mosques were attacked while worshippers were praying, raising fears over the scale of the violence.
A local youth leader claimed as many as 500 people may have been taken hostage, although the figure has not been independently confirmed. Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun told the BBC that more than 40 people were killed, but authorities were still working to establish the full death toll.
The affected communities include Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka. The attackers reportedly wore military-style clothing before carrying out the raids and moving some of the abducted residents towards nearby forests.
The scale of the kidnapping became clearer after a video emerged on social media showing dozens of people sitting in a forest. The kidnappers claimed those shown were among the victims taken during the attacks. For some families, the footage was the first sign that missing relatives were still alive.
The violence has also forced residents to flee their homes. A local blogger familiar with the area said some people had moved to neighbouring Nigerian states, while others reportedly crossed into Benin. Several survivors are receiving hospital treatment for injuries sustained during the attacks.
A local official said the attackers also planted improvised explosive devices along routes used to move the abducted residents. According to the official, a teenage boy was killed when one of the explosives detonated as he tried to escape.
Tinubu condemned the killings and abductions through a statement issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga. The president expressed sympathy to the victims’ families and directed security agencies to pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.
The authorities initially suspected armed bandits, who are known to operate across parts of northern Nigeria and engage in kidnapping, attacks and other criminal activities. However, no ransom demand has been reported over the latest abductions, while officials have also raised concerns about the growing presence of jihadist groups around north-western Nigeria and the Benin border.
The attacks come weeks after police said 145 people were rescued following their abduction from four other villages in the Borgu area. The latest violence is likely to intensify scrutiny of security operations in remote communities where armed groups continue to exploit difficult terrain and porous borders.
