Nigeria launches hunt for hundreds of kidnapped mosque worshippers

With elections set for January, President Tinubu seeks to clamp down on kidnapping trend in northern Nigeria.Published On 26 Aug 202626 Aug 2026Nigeria has launched a hunt for hundreds of people kidnapped from mosques in the north of the country.The military and other security services began the operation on Wednesday after President Bola Tinubu ordered a major rescue mission to find an estimated 600 worshippers who were abducted from an area around Dekera village in north-central Niger State last week.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Dozens of abducted schoolchildren and teachers rescued in Nigerialist 2 of 4Armed attackers kill more than 20 in northwest Nigerialist 3 of 4Nigeria announces rescue of 308 kidnapped citizenslist 4 of 4Nigeria and the Sahel: A growing security divideend of list“I have directed the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, and all relevant security and intelligence agencies to launch a coordinated rescue operation immediately for the victims of the recent mass abduction in Niger State,” the Nigerian president wrote on social media late on Tuesday.Mass kidnappings for ransom have been on the rise in northern ...