Niger Mosque Abduction: Tinubu Orders Rapid Rescue Operation

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered the armed forces and intelligence agencies to launch an immediate, coordinated joint rescue operation following a mass kidnapping at a mosque in Niger State, vowing that the government will not rest until every captive is safely returned.

The presidential directive was issued on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, in a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following a brazen attack in the north-western state.

Mass Abduction in Borgu Local Government Area

The directive comes after armed bandits raided the central mosque in Gidan-Zana, located in Kpenya village within the Dekara District of Borgu Local Government Area, during Friday afternoon prayers on 21 August.

According to local accounts, the gunmen stormed the mosque at approximately 2:00 p.m., surrounding the building before rounding up worshippers at gunpoint.

Key details of the security situation include:

• Indiscriminate Kidnappings: The bandits abducted dozens of congregants—including women, children, and elderly residents—while scores of terrified villagers fled into nearby forest reserves to escape the gunfire.
• Prominent Hostages Taken: Among those seized were the traditional village head of Ka’ada—who had only recently regained his freedom following a previous kidnapping—and the 90-year-old father of the District Head of Dekar.
• Multi-Agency Directive: President Tinubu ordered a synchronized tactical response involving the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and regional security agencies to track the perpetrators and secure the hostage routes.

Denouncing the attackers as “enemies of peace and enemies of humanity,” President Tinubu extended his condolences to the families of those killed during the assault and pledged the full backing of the Federal Government to Niger State authorities.

“Terror will not cow Nigeria,” Tinubu declared, reassuring affected families that security forces would bring the perpetrators to justice. “We will defend our people, protect our communities, and prove that the resolve of a united nation will always outlast the cruelty of those who seek to tear it apart.”