Nigeria’s President Launches Manhunt after Villages Attacked and Kidnappers Released Video

In a dramatic response to a deadly assault on four remote villages in Niger state, President Bola Tinubu has ordered a nationwide manhunt for armed kidnappers believed to have carried out the attacks last Friday.

The assailants – described by local police as “military‑style” dressed gunmen – simultaneously set fire to mosques while worshippers were inside, leading to widespread destruction and the abduction of up to 500 villagers, according to a local youth leader. Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said more than 40 people were killed, though the exact death toll remains unconfirmed.

The kidnappers posted a video on social media showing the abducted villagers sitting in a forest, which rekindled community fears and triggered the president’s call for an urgent search. The video, not offering any ransom demands, displays blurred faces but some individuals were recognizable to community members, giving families a glimmer of hope that their loved ones were still alive.

In addition to the firearms, a local official revealed that improvised explosive devices were planted in affected villages and that a teenage boy died when an explosive detonated as he attempted to escape.

President Tinubu condemned the killings and abductions in a statement from his spokesman Bayo Onanuga, pledging that the perpetrators would be brought to justice, and expressed condolences to the families of those killed.