The Niger State Government says it has not received any communication from the terrorists who abducted worshippers at a mosque in Borgu Local Government Area last Friday.
The state Commissioner for Information, Obed Nuhu, disclosed this on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Nuhu said the attack occurred at three different locations in the area, adding that the Lakurawa and Boko Haram terrorist groups were suspected to be behind the abductions.
“No such (contact with the kidnappers) has happened. We have not had any interactions with them but the suspicion is the Lakurawas as they call themselves and the Boko Haram. It happened in three different locations around that kingdom,” he said.
The commissioner said the government could not confirm the number of people abducted, explaining that officials were still gathering and verifying information about the incident.
He said the government would not speculate on the figure until it obtained reliable details.
Following the attack, Niger State Governor Umaru Bago directed relevant authorities to work with security agencies to secure the safe recovery of the victims and restore normalcy to the affected communities.
The state government said a joint security operation had been launched in the area to assess the situation, track the perpetrators and facilitate the victims’ rescue.
It added that details of the movement and deployment of security personnel would not be disclosed because of the sensitive nature of the operation.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has directed security and intelligence agencies to commence an immediate and coordinated operation to rescue the abducted worshippers.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday, Tinubu directed the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other relevant security agencies to mobilise for the rescue operation.