President Bola Tinubu has ordered security forces to launch a manhunt for gunmen accused of killing dozens of people and abducting residents from four communities in Niger State. The attacks occurred last Friday in the remote Borgu area, close to Nigeria’s borders with Benin, Kebbi and Kwara states.

The attackers reportedly raided Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka, with several mosques allegedly targeted while residents were attending prayers. Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun told the BBC that more than 40 people were killed, although authorities have yet to establish the exact death toll. A local youth leader claimed that as many as 500 people may have been abducted, but the figure has not been independently verified.

The scale of the abductions became clearer after the attackers released a video showing people sitting in a forest and claimed they were among those taken during the attacks. Several survivors are receiving medical treatment, while many residents have fled the affected communities, with some reportedly seeking refuge in neighbouring states or across the border in Benin. A local official also said the attackers planted improvised explosive devices while moving the victims into the forest, with a teenage boy reportedly killed when one exploded as he tried to escape.

Tinubu condemned the killings and abductions and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice. He directed the military, police, DSS and other security agencies to coordinate an immediate rescue operation and ordered regular briefings on the progress of efforts to account for the abducted victims. The latest violence has heightened concerns over growing insecurity in the Borgu area, where authorities have also warned of increased activity by armed criminal and jihadist groups.