Reports say that more than forty people have been killed and hundreds abducted after gunmen attacked four villages in Nigeria’s Niger state. The assailants, wearing military-style clothing, raided communities in the remote Borgu area near the Benin border, reportedly targeting several mosques during prayers. A local youth leader claimed that as many as five hundred have been kidnapped, although this remains unverified. Footage subsequently released by the attackers showed captives sitting in a forest, providing some families with evidence that missing relatives were alive. Many residents have fled to neighbouring states or crossed into Benin, while injured survivors are receiving hospital treatment. The attackers also reportedly planted improvised explosive devices, one of which killed a teenage boy attempting to escape. Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, has ordered security forces to pursue those responsible. The latest attacks are likely to add to concerns over the government's ability to protect communities in remote areas where armed groups have become increasingly active and are seemingly operating with impunity.