Nigeria Launches Search for Hundreds of Worshippers Abducted from Mosques
Al Jazeera Staff
Nigerian authorities have launched a major search operation for about 600 worshippers abducted from mosques in the north, following President Bola Tinubu's order for a large-scale rescue. The kidnappings have intensified security concerns ahead of the January presidential election, with video evidence showing the captives held in a forested area.
Nigeria has launched a search operation for hundreds of people abducted from mosques in the north, following a directive from President Bola Tinubu to carry out a large-scale rescue mission.
According to statements from the military and security forces, the operation began on Wednesday after President Tinubu ordered a coordinated rescue of about 600 worshippers seized in last week's attack around the village of Dekera in Niger State, north-central Nigeria.
"I have directed the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Service, and all relevant security and intelligence agencies to immediately deploy a coordinated rescue operation for the victims of the recent mass abduction in Niger State," the Nigerian president wrote on social media on Tuesday evening.
Mass kidnappings for ransom have increased in northern Nigeria since the start of the year. The issue has become politically sensitive ahead of the January presidential election, with security expected to be a major campaign theme.
On Sunday, suspected kidnappers released a video showing a large group of people held by armed individuals in a forested area. In the footage, widely shared on Facebook and WhatsApp, crying children can be heard. A gunman speaking Hausa directly addresses the families of the detainees, demanding they identify their relatives.
News agencies could not independently verify the exact date or location of the video, but no versions of it were found posted before Sunday.
A local official in the area of Friday's attack said 30 people were killed and buried on Sunday. Amnesty International has urged the Nigerian authorities to secure the release of the abducted worshippers, warning of the growing threat of mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria.
In its first public statement on the incident, the Nigerian government condemned the "cowardly attack on defenseless Nigerians" and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
"You are not alone," President Tinubu wrote, addressing the families of the dead and abducted. "The whole country shares your pain. We will not rest until your sons, daughters, and parents are brought back safely."
Abubakar Umar, the head of the Dekera community, said at least 2,000 people had fled to neighboring Benin following the attack.
Northwestern Nigeria has long been a transit point for weapons and gunmen across West Africa. Along with neighboring Niger, Chad, and Benin, the region has increasingly become a site of attacks by Boko Haram and ISIL (ISIS).
Kabir Adamu, a security analyst in Abuja, said it was impossible to identify who was responsible for the mass abduction, but he predicted that the armed individuals who released the video would make contact to demand ransom. The daytime abduction shows the limited effectiveness of Nigeria's security operations, he said.
However, "terrorism will not subdue Nigeria," the president stressed. "We will protect our people, protect our communities, and uphold the sanctity of human life," Tinubu said, adding that he had directed security officials to report regularly on the rescue operation's progress "until all those abducted are found."
