Security forces are currently continuing the search for the missing. Following this tragic event, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu canceled a planned trip to the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
The attack in Papiri is not the only incident in recent times; earlier, bandits kidnapped 25 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Kebbi State and 38 people from a church in Kwara State. For each hostage in the latter case, the kidnappers are demanding 100 million naira (approximately 100,000 euros).
For many years, armed groups have been carrying out kidnappings in the northwestern and central regions of Nigeria, using dense forests for their concealment. Thousands of people have fallen victim to such attacks.
Amid escalating violence, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed intentions in early November to send troops to Nigeria, accusing local authorities of inaction and of killing Christians. However, Bola Tinubu refuted these accusations, emphasizing that Muslims predominate in the north of the country, while Christians are located in the south.
