Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has ordered security forces to launch an immediate operation to rescue hundreds of people feared abducted during coordinated attacks on communities in the country’s north-central Niger State.
Armed attackers stormed several communities in Borgu Local Government Area on Friday, August 21, targeting residents and worshippers around the time of Jumu’ah prayers.
A video later circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp showing a large number of women, children and elderly people sitting in a forested area surrounded by armed men.
Residents who viewed the footage said some of those shown were people abducted during the attacks. Estimates of the number missing vary significantly, with some local accounts placing the figure at around 500 or 600 people.
Authorities have not independently confirmed the number of captives.
Tinubu orders immediate rescue
Tinubu directed the military and other security agencies to pursue the attackers and secure the release of those abducted.
In a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian president condemned the violence and pledged that those responsible would be held accountable.
“Those who carried out this cowardly attack on defenceless Nigerians are enemies of peace and enemies of humanity, who will not go scot-free,” Tinubu said.
He also expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the attacks.
Reports from the affected area indicate that dozens of people may have been killed, although initial police accounts had said there were no confirmed fatalities.
Reuters subsequently cited a Borgu official as saying 30 people were killed and buried following the attacks.
Mosques and villages targeted
Niger State police initially confirmed that suspected armed attackers invaded Gidan-Zana and Kpenya villages before abducting an unspecified number of people during prayers.
Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said joint security forces had been deployed for assessment and rescue operations, while authorities continued trying to establish the number of people taken.
The wider attacks reportedly affected several communities, including Dekara, Gidan-Zana, Kpenya, Sabon Gida and Masata.
Northern Nigerian senators have since condemned the violence and called for the immediate release of those abducted.
No group has officially claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Armed criminal gangs, commonly referred to locally as bandits, have carried out widespread kidnappings, killings and raids across parts of northern and central Nigeria for years, frequently demanding ransom payments in exchange for captives.
However, authorities have also expressed growing concern over the activities of armed groups with militant links operating across parts of north-western Nigeria and border regions.
Video shows hundreds of captives
The footage released following the attack appears to show large groups of captives gathered in a forest while armed men stand nearby.
Residents have said the people shown include women, children and elderly villagers abducted from the affected communities.
Reuters reported that residents estimated around 600 people may have been taken, although that figure has not been independently verified. If confirmed, it would make the incident one of Nigeria’s largest mass kidnappings in recent years.
The attack comes amid a broader surge in kidnappings across Nigeria.
Research by Nigerian security consultancy SBM Intelligence found that 7,825 people were abducted and 1,142 killed in kidnapping incidents between July 2025 and June 2026.
The organisation estimated that armed groups received nearly $5.8 million in ransom payments during the same period, highlighting the increasingly lucrative kidnapping economy operating across parts of the country.
The Borgu attacks have again intensified pressure on Tinubu’s government to contain armed groups operating across Nigeria’s vast rural regions and secure the release of civilians held captive.
