Nigeria launches rescue operation for hundreds kidnapped from mosques

Nigeria has launched a major security operation to locate and rescue hundreds of people abducted from mosques in the north of the country.

The military, police and intelligence agencies began the coordinated operation on Wednesday after President Bola Tinubu ordered an urgent mission to find an estimated 600 worshippers taken captive in attacks around Dekera village in Niger State last week.

Tinubu said he had directed the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other security and intelligence agencies to work together to secure the victims' release.

The mass abduction comes amid a surge in kidnappings for ransom across northern Nigeria, where armed groups have increasingly targeted rural communities. The worsening security situation is expected to become a major issue ahead of the country's presidential election in January.

On Sunday, footage emerged showing what appeared to be hundreds of captives being held by armed men in a forest.

The video, which was shared widely on Facebook and WhatsApp, included the sound of children crying. An armed man speaking Hausa could also be heard addressing the families of those being held and instructing them to identify their relatives.

News agencies have been unable to independently verify when or where the footage was recorded. However, no earlier version of the video has been found, suggesting it may have been filmed recently.

An official from the district affected by Friday's attacks said 30 people had been killed. Their bodies were buried on Sunday.

The latest violence has drawn condemnation from Amnesty International, which called on Nigerian authorities to act urgently to secure the release of the kidnapped worshippers and warned about the growing scale of mass abductions in the country's north.

The Nigerian presidency also condemned what it described as a "cowardly attack on defenceless Nigerians" and vowed that those responsible would face justice.

Tinubu offered support to the families of those killed and abducted, promising that the government would continue its efforts to bring the captives home.

"You are not alone," the president said, adding that the nation shared the families' anguish and would not stop until their loved ones were safely returned.