Nigeria: Nigerian President Orders Rescue Operation After Mass Kidnapping in Mosque

What the report says

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered the military and other security agencies to begin an immediate rescue operation after a mass abduction at a mosque in Niger State, in north-central Nigeria. According to the report from RFI, the attack took place last week in Dekara village, and local authorities were still trying to confirm how many people were taken.

Residents and community leaders said the missing group may include about 600 women, children and elderly people. The report also said an armed group later circulated a video on Facebook and WhatsApp showing a large number of captives seated in a forested area with armed men nearby, although the exact number could not be independently verified. A local official from Borgu district said 30 people were killed in the attack and buried on Sunday, while villagers from Dakera, Gidan-Zana and Sabon Gida were among those affected.

In his first public response, Tinubu condemned the assault and said those responsible would be brought to justice. He also told security chiefs to provide regular updates on rescue efforts and on all those reported missing. The incident highlights a persistent security crisis in parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, where armed groups frequently raid communities for ransom and carry out large-scale kidnappings.