Nigeria launches hunt for hundreds of kidnapped mosque worshippers

What the report says

Nigeria has launched a coordinated search for hundreds of worshippers abducted from a mosque in north-central Niger State, according to Al Jazeera, after President Bola Tinubu ordered security agencies to find the victims. The article says the attack occurred near Dekera village last week and that the number of people taken is estimated at about 600. The operation involves the military, police and intelligence services.

Al Jazeera reported that the kidnapping has intensified concern over a rising wave of mass abductions in northern Nigeria, where ransom-driven attacks have become more frequent this year. The issue is politically sensitive ahead of Nigeria’s January presidential election, with insecurity expected to be a major campaign theme. The presidency condemned the assault and promised to bring those responsible to justice, while Tinubu said the country would not rest until the abducted people were found.

The report also said a video circulated on social media on Sunday appearing to show captives held by armed men in a forested area, though the exact time and place of the recording could not be verified. Reuters, cited by Al Jazeera, quoted a local official as saying 30 people were killed in the wider attack area and buried on Sunday. The article noted that some residents fled across the border into Benin after the violence.

More broadly, the story reflects the long-running security crisis in northwest and north-central Nigeria, where armed groups, bandit gangs and extremist networks have carried out kidnappings and attacks across rural communities.