Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered the military and other security agencies to launch an immediate operation to rescue hundreds of people reportedly abducted by gunmen in north-central Niger State.
The order came on Tuesday after an armed group circulated video footage on Facebook and WhatsApp showing a large number of captives, including women, children and elderly people, following an attack on a mosque last week.
Residents said around 600 people may have been taken in the raid. Reuters could not independently verify that figure. If confirmed, the abduction would be among the largest mass kidnappings recorded in Nigeria in recent years.
In its first public response to the attack, Nigeria’s presidency condemned the kidnapping and said those responsible would be pursued and brought to justice.
“Terror will not cow Nigeria. We will defend our people, protect our communities and uphold the sanctity of human life,” Tinubu said in a statement.
The president instructed security chiefs to provide regular updates on the rescue effort and to establish the whereabouts of all those abducted.
Mass kidnappings for ransom have become a persistent security threat across parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria. Heavily armed gangs frequently raid rural communities, schools and major roads, often holding captives for weeks or months while demanding ransom payments.
The groups have also increasingly expanded their operations beyond areas where such attacks were once concentrated, placing further pressure on Nigerian security forces and local communities.