Nigeria: Tinubu ordonne rescues 600 people kidnapped in mosque attack

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered the armed and security forces to launch an immediate rescue operation after the abduction of some 600 people by armed men in north-central Niger state.

An armed group spread through Facebook and WhatsApp a video in which, according to local residents, women, children and elderly people appear kidnapped during the attack on a mosque last weekend.

Nigerian authorities have not yet independently confirmed the number of abductees. Reuters has also not been able to independently verify the veracity of the images.

"I order the chiefs of the army and security forces to launch a rescue operation to free all victims," ​​Tinubu said in an official statement issued from Abuja.

Niger state, in central Nigeria, has in recent months become the scene of frequent attacks carried out by criminal gangs who kidnap civilians for ransom.

Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants arrived at the place of worship during night prayers and opened fire on the worshipers before taking the hostages.

This new wave of violence comes weeks after the Naridon massacre, in Plateau state, where at least 30 Christians lost their lives in an ambush that remains unclaimed to date.

Nigerian security forces have promised concrete results within the next 72 hours. The army confirmed the deployment of reconnaissance helicopters in the kidnapping area.