Nigeria's president orders manhunt after kidnappers upload victim video

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has ordered a manhunt for armed kidnappers who launched deadly attacks on four villages in a remote part of Niger state last Friday.

Local residents told the BBC several mosques were simultaneously targeted during prayers. A local youth leader says as many as 500 people may have been abducted, though this has not been verified.

The president's orders came after the kidnappers posted a video on social media of what they said were those abducted last week sitting in a forest.

The authorities had previously suspected the attackers were bandits - criminal gangs involved in kidnapping and looting for ransom across parts of Nigeria.

The kidnap gangs, jihadists and separatists wreaking havoc in Nigeria

The gunmen, reportedly dressed in military-style clothing, attacked the villages of Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka.

Police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun told the BBC that more than 40 people were killed, but the exact number of deaths had not been confirmed.

Looking at the footage released on social media, the local youth leader, who asked not to be named, said he recognised several individuals from his community.