Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has ordered security forces to track down gunmen accused of killing dozens of people and abducting residents from four villages in Niger state.
The attacks took place last Friday in the remote Borgu area, near Nigeria’s borders with Benin and the states of Kebbi and Kwara.
Residents had reported that several mosques were attacked at the same time while people were attending prayers. A local youth leader said up to 500 people could have been taken hostage, although the figure has not been independently verified.
The scale of the abductions became clearer after the attackers shared a video on social media showing a group of people sitting in a forest. The kidnappers claimed those shown were among the people taken during the attacks.
Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun told the BBC that more than 40 people were killed, although authorities have not yet established the exact death toll.
The attackers reportedly wore military-style clothing and raided Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka.
For some families, the footage provided the first indication that relatives who had disappeared were still alive. Others remain without information about missing family members.
Many residents have since fled the area, according to a local blogger familiar with the region. Some have reportedly sought safety in neighbouring Nigerian states or crossed into Benin.
Several survivors are being treated in hospital, including people who suffered serious injuries.
A local official also said the attackers planted improvised explosive devices as they moved the abducted residents towards the forest. He said a teenage boy was killed when one of the explosives detonated as he attempted to escape.
Tinubu condemned the killings and abductions in a statement released by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga. The president said those responsible would be pursued and brought to justice, while offering condolences to the families of those killed.
The authorities had initially suspected that the attackers were armed bandits, criminal groups that operate in parts of Nigeria and are frequently involved in kidnapping, looting and ransom demands. No ransom request has been reported in connection with the latest attacks.
The violence adds to growing security concerns in the Borgu area. Earlier this month, police said 145 people had been rescued after being abducted from four other villages in the region.
Local officials have also warned about the increasing presence of jihadist groups in parts of north-western Nigeria and along the border with Benin. They say some fighters have recently entered communities and imposed religious restrictions on residents.
The latest attacks are likely to add to concerns over the government’s ability to protect communities in remote areas where armed groups have become increasingly active.
