The Niger State Government 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, has said.
Nuhu disclosed this on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, saying the attack occurred at three different locations in the area and was suspected to have been carried out by the Lakurawa and Boko Haram terrorist groups.
“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 also said the government could not confirm the number of people abducted, explaining that officials were still gathering information on the incident.
He said the government would not speculate on the figures until it had obtained verified details.
Following the attack, Governor Umaru Bago expressed concern over the incident and directed relevant authorities to work with security agencies to secure the safe recovery of the abducted persons and restore normalcy to the affected communities.
The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting the lives and property of residents, assuring that the government would continue efforts to prevent criminal elements from disrupting peace across the state.
The state government said a joint security operation had been launched in the affected area to assess the situation, track the perpetrators and facilitate the rescue of the abducted persons.
It added that details of the movement and deployment of security personnel would not be made public because of the sensitive nature of the ongoing operation.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has directed the country’s security and intelligence agencies to commence an immediate and coordinated operation to rescue the victims.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday, the President directed the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other relevant security and intelligence agencies to mobilise for the rescue operation.
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