President Bola Tinubu has ordered an immediate security operation to rescue hundreds of people feared abducted after gunmen attacked communities and worshippers in Niger State, an incident that has once again put Nigeria’s long running kidnapping crisis in the spotlight.
The attacks took place Aug. 21 in Borgu Local Government Area, a remote part of north central Nigeria near the border with Benin. Armed men entered several communities in the Dekara district before targeting worshippers gathered for Friday prayers at a mosque.
Women, children and elderly residents were among those taken. Some people managed to escape into nearby forests as the attackers moved through the communities.
Authorities have not confirmed exactly how many people are missing. Initial reports suggested dozens had been abducted, but residents later said the number could be about 600 after footage circulated online showing a large group of captives surrounded by armed men. The exact number remains under investigation.
If that figure is confirmed, the attack would rank among the largest mass abductions Nigeria has experienced in recent years.
There are also conflicting accounts of the death toll. A local official said 30 people were killed and buried following the attack, while earlier police reports said there had been no confirmed deaths. The Nigerian Army later said some residents had been killed but did not provide a final figure.
The uncertainty reflects the difficulties authorities face in reaching some of the affected communities. The area around Borgu and Kainji Lake National Park includes large stretches of forest and difficult terrain that armed groups have used to move between communities and evade security forces.
Tinubu directed the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other intelligence agencies to coordinate their efforts to find the captives and bring them home safely.
“You are not alone. The entire nation shares your anguish,” Tinubu told the families of those missing. “We will not rest until your sons, daughters, mothers and fathers are brought back safely to you.”
The president also ordered security chiefs to keep the government informed about the rescue effort until the missing residents are accounted for.
Niger State Gov. Mohammed Umaru Bago condemned the attack and directed state authorities to work closely with security agencies to secure the release of those taken. His government described the abduction of worshippers as a serious assault on the peace and security of the state.
Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said suspected attackers entered Gidan Zana and Kpenya before abducting people during prayers at the Kpenya mosque. A joint security team was subsequently sent into the area to assess the situation and begin rescue efforts.
The military has also deployed troops to the area. According to an operational account, soldiers later encountered the attackers and repelled an assault on their position. The military said efforts were continuing to determine the whereabouts of missing residents and establish the full scale of the attack.
No group has publicly claimed responsibility.
The attack adds to years of insecurity across northern and north central Nigeria, where criminal gangs and extremist groups have attacked villages, schools, highways and places of worship. Kidnapping for ransom has grown into a lucrative criminal enterprise, leaving rural communities particularly vulnerable.
Nigeria’s mass kidnapping crisis gained worldwide attention in April 2014 when Boko Haram militants abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State. The kidnapping sparked the global Bring Back Our Girls campaign and drew international attention to the country’s security challenges.
More than a decade later, large scale abductions continue despite repeated military operations and government promises to strengthen security.
The latest attack is especially troubling because it comes only weeks after Nigerian security forces carried out a major rescue operation involving 308 abducted people from Niger and neighboring Kwara state.
On Aug. 5, the presidency announced that 145 people abducted in Niger State and another 163 taken from Woro community in Kwara State had been rescued during a coordinated operation involving the military, police, Department of State Services and National Counter Terrorism Centre.
Tinubu praised that operation and called for stronger early warning systems and better intelligence sharing to prevent future attacks. The violence in Borgu has now renewed questions about whether security improvements are reaching isolated communities quickly enough.
For residents of the affected communities, those wider questions come second to the search for their loved ones.
Families are waiting for information as security personnel search the forests surrounding Borgu. Authorities have urged caution over estimates of the number missing while efforts continue to identify those who escaped and those still believed to be in captivity.
For many families, the uncertainty is becoming increasingly painful. Their immediate hope is that the security operation will locate the captives before they are moved farther into the forests or across the border.
