Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to launch a manhunt for armed kidnappers responsible for deadly attacks on four villages in Niger State.
The attackers reportedly raided Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka last Friday, targeting residents, including worshippers at several mosques during prayers.
Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun told the BBC that more than 40 people were killed, although authorities were still working to establish the exact death toll. A local youth leader also claimed that as many as 500 people may have been abducted, but the figure has not been independently verified.
The development came after the kidnappers released a video on social media showing people they claimed were among those abducted during the attacks. A local youth leader who viewed the footage said he recognised several residents from his community.
“I was able to identify many people. There is an elderly man in the video who is like a grandfather to us,” he said. “He lives in Gidan Zana village.”
The video has brought some relief to families who had been searching for missing relatives, with the youth leader saying it gave them hope that their loved ones were still alive.
“At least they know where their loved ones are and hope they may be rescued, unlike those who still have no information about missing relatives,” he added.
The attackers, who were reportedly dressed in military-style clothing, are suspected of being members of criminal gangs involved in kidnapping and other violent crimes. However, no ransom demand has so far been reported.
A local official said the gunmen planted improvised explosive devices in some areas while taking the abducted residents into the forest. A teenage boy was reportedly killed when one of the explosives detonated as he attempted to escape.
Several survivors are receiving treatment in hospitals, including some with serious injuries, while many residents have reportedly fled the affected communities for neighbouring states and parts of Benin.
In a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu condemned the killings and abductions and promised that those behind the attacks would face justice.
“Those who carried out this cowardly attack on defenceless Nigerians are enemies of peace and enemies of humanity, who will not go scot-free,” the statement said.
President Tinubu also expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
The attacks have heightened concerns over worsening insecurity in the Borgu area, which borders Kebbi and Kwara states as well as neighbouring Benin.
Earlier this month, police announced that 145 people had been rescued after being abducted from four other villages in the same area.
Local authorities have also warned about the growing activities of jihadist groups in parts of north-western Nigeria and along the border region, where some fighters are reportedly entering communities and imposing religious restrictions on residents.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar