Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered the military and other security agencies on Tuesday to launch an immediate rescue operation after scores of people were kidnapped by gunmen in north-central Niger State last week.

An armed group posted a video on Facebook and WhatsApp showing what residents said were about 600 women, children and older people abducted during an attack on a mosque in the state.

Reuters could not independently verify the figure, but if confirmed it would rank among Nigeria's largest and most audacious mass kidnappings in recent years. 

The incident highlights Nigeria's inability to protect swathes of the country where an array of armed groups operate. Any effort to rescue the hostages would be complicated by the gunmen's knowledge of the remote border areas and ability to hide in the thick bush.   

An official from Borgu district, where the attack happened, said 30 people had been killed during the attack and were buried on Sunday. 

The official, who declined to be identified because she was not authorised to speak to the media, said villagers from the communities of Dakera, Gidan-Zana and Sabon Gida were affected.

'WE WILL DEFEND OUR PEOPLE'

In its first public comments on the incident, the presidency condemned the attack as cowardly and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.

"Terror will not cow Nigeria. We will defend our people, protect our communities and uphold the sanctity of human life," Tinubu said in a statement.

Tinubu directed security chiefs to provide regular updates on efforts to rescue the abductees and account for all those taken.

Abubakar Umar, the traditional head of Dakera community, said at least 2 000 people fled into neighbouring Benin Republic following the attack. 

Northwest Nigeria has long been a transit zone for arms and gunmen criss-crossing West Africa, but the area is increasingly a site for attacks by militants aligned with al Qaeda and Islamic State based in Nigeria or neighbouring Niger and Benin. 

Kabir Adamu, an Abuja-based security expert, said it was not possible to say who was responsible but he expected the gunmen who released the video would soon reach out to demand a ransom.

The incident, which took place in broad daylight, showed how ineffective security operations have been, he said.

"The ability of these groups to operate has not been limited in any way," he said, adding that gunmen could easily move between different parts of Nigeria or across borders. 

MASS ABDUCTIONS COMMON

Mass abductions for ransom have become common in parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, where heavily armed criminal gangs frequently raid villages, schools and highways.

The groups often hold captives for weeks or months while demanding large ransoms and have increasingly expanded their operations beyond traditional strongholds in the north.    

Obed Nana, Niger state commissioner for information, told Reuters by phone that authorities were still trying to verify the number of missing people.

"I don't want to be too speculative about it because you know how sensitive such information can be," said Nana.

Yahuza Getso, another security expert based in Abuja, described the incident as a significant failure. 

"If ... we are doing what we are supposed to do as a government and as a nation they couldn’t have had capacity and ability, courage and confidence to have carted away such a number of people," he said.