President Bola Tinubu issued a nationwide mobilization order following a brutal assault on four remote villages—Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka—in Niger State on Friday. Militants, wearing military‑style uniforms, attacked mosques during prayers, allegedly killing at least 40 people and abducting as many as 500, though the numbers remain unverified.

Shortly after the raids, the attackers posted a shaky video on social media showing a group of captured villagers seated in a forest clearing. The footage, marked with blurred faces, confirmed that the victims were in fact taken from the affected villages, allowing families to at least know their loved ones were alive.

While no ransom has been demanded, the attack has heightened fears of a broader crisis in the Borgu area, which borders Kebbi, Kwara and neighboring Benin. Local authorities warned of improvised explosive devices left in the villages, one of which detonated and killed a teenage boy attempting to escape.

President Tinubu condemned the killings and abductions, describing the perpetrators as enemies of peace and humanity, and pledged that those responsible would be brought to justice. He also offered condolences to the families of those killed.

Earlier this month, police rescued 145 people from four other villages in the same region, but the current incident signals a continuing escalation of violence and the growing presence of both bandit and jihadist groups in north‑western Nigeria.