Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered a security forces manhunt following coordinated attacks on four villages in the Borgu area of Niger state (a remote region near Nigeria's borders with Benin, Kebbi, and Kwara), in which more than 40 people were killed and potentially hundreds abducted. The gunmen, who wore military-style clothing, struck multiple mosques simultaneously during Friday prayers, with a local youth leader estimating up to 500 people may have been taken hostage — a figure yet to be independently verified. The attacks, which authorities initially attributed to armed bandits, have intensified alarm over deteriorating security in north-western Nigeria, where jihadist groups have also been reported to be expanding their presence along the border with Benin.