Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered a manhunt for armed kidnappers following deadly attacks on four villages in Niger state last Friday. The presidential order was issued after the unidentified kidnappers posted a social media video showing dozens of men, women, and children sitting in a forest. Authorities previously suspected the attackers were members of criminal gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, who engage in kidnapping and looting for ransom.
The attacks targeted the villages of Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida, and Masaka. Local residents reported that gunmen wearing military-style clothing attacked several mosques simultaneously during prayers. While a local youth leader suggested as many as 500 people may have been abducted, that figure has not been officially verified. Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun stated that more than 40 people were killed, though a final death toll is not yet confirmed.
Survivors and local officials reported that the attackers planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the communities as they led captives away. One local official said a teenage boy was killed by one of these explosives while trying to escape. A local blogger reported that many residents have fled the area, seeking refuge in neighboring Nigerian states or crossing the border into Benin.
The scale of the insecurity is reflected in recent police reports, which noted that 145 people were rescued from four other villages in the same area earlier this month. The ongoing violence places a strain on regional resources as survivors seek hospital treatment for serious injuries and displaced persons migrate across state and national borders. Local officials have raised concerns that the security situation is further complicated by the presence of jihadist groups in north-western Nigeria who have begun imposing religious restrictions on certain communities.
The manhunt ordered by President Tinubu signals a federal prioritization of the crisis, but the immediate outcome for the captives remains uncertain as no ransom demands have yet been reported. The situation sets a precedent for how the government responds to the use of social media by kidnapping gangs to broadcast their activities. The next steps involve the military and police search operations in the forest regions of Niger state, though specific dates for these operations or deadlines for rescue efforts have not been publicly disclosed.