Nigeria's president orders manhunt after kidnappers upload victim video

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has launched a nationwide manhunt after armed kidnappers posted a video on social media showing dozens of men, women and children sitting in a forest. The footage follows a coordinated assault on four villages—Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka—in a remote part of Niger state on Friday, during which police say more than 40 people were killed, though the exact toll remains unverified. Local residents reported that several mosques were simultaneously targeted while worshippers were praying, and a youth leader estimates that as many as 500 people may have been abducted, a figure that has yet to be confirmed. The attackers, dressed in military‑style clothing, are believed to be bandits—criminal gangs that routinely kidnap and loot for ransom across Nigeria.

The video’s release gave families a grim confirmation that their loved ones were alive, albeit held captive, and sparked a wave of displacement as survivors and other residents fled toward neighboring states or across the Benin border. A local youth leader identified several familiar faces in the clip, including an elderly man from Gidan Zana, offering a small measure of relief to relatives who had previously had no information. Meanwhile, a local official disclosed that the gunmen planted improvised explosive devices along the route to the forest, killing a teenage boy when one detonated as he tried to escape. Survivors with serious injuries are receiving hospital treatment, and a local blogger noted the growing exodus of villagers seeking safety.

President Tinubu, through spokesman Bayo Onanuga, condemned the “cowardly attack on defenceless Nigerians,” labeling the perpetrators “enemies of peace and humanity” and vowing they will not go unpunished. The president’s statement also expressed condolences to the families of the dead and pledged that those responsible will be brought to justice. The incident underscores the escalating insecurity in the Borgu area, which borders Kebbi, Kwara and Benin, and follows a recent rescue of 145 abductees from four other villages in the same region. Local officials have warned of an increasing jihadist presence in north‑western Nigeria, noting that fighters have begun imposing religious restrictions and even sending letters to communities to demand preaching before committing massacres, further complicating the security landscape and prompting heightened concern over the blend of banditry, jihadist activity and separatist violence across the country.

⚡ Effects Interpreter