Nigerian president orders rescue of hundreds kidnapped from mosque

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered an immediate rescue operation after hundreds of people were kidnapped in the central state of Niger.

The incident follows an attack on a mosque in Niger state on August 21. Gunmen first attacked the villages of Gidan-Zana and Kpenya, before storming the Kpenya mosque in Dekara district at around 2:00 p.m. local time.

A video circulated on social media on August 23 showed about 600 women, children and elderly people reportedly abducted in the attack. Reuters could not independently verify the number. A local official said 30 people had died in the attack.

President Tinubu ordered security forces to immediately launch an operation to rescue the abductees and to provide regular updates on its progress. Local authorities are still trying to determine the number of missing people. At least 2,000 people are said to have fled to neighboring Benin after the attack.

Kidnappings by armed gangs for ransom are common in the northwestern and central regions of Nigeria.