A video circulating online appears to show hundreds of people abducted during a recent mosque attack in Nigeria’s Niger State, with local residents estimating that around 600 women, children and elderly people may be among those held captive.
The footage, shared on Facebook and WhatsApp on Sunday, shows large groups of people sitting in a wooded area while armed men stand nearby. Children can be heard crying in the background.
Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the video. Police and Niger State authorities had not responded to requests for comment.
The footage emerged two days after gunmen attacked worshippers during Friday prayers at a mosque in Dekara village in north-central Nigeria. Residents said the assault formed part of a series of coordinated raids on surrounding communities.
Police previously confirmed that worshippers had been attacked and people abducted, but said they were unable to establish how many had been taken.
In the newly released video, an armed man speaking in Hausa addresses relatives of the captives and tells families to look through the footage to identify their loved ones.
“These are all your people,” the gunman says, urging viewers to identify parents, children and other relatives among those shown.
Local resident Jamilu Ibrahim appealed to federal and state authorities to secure the captives’ release, pointing to the large number of women with infants, children and elderly people visible in the video.
Mass abductions for ransom have become increasingly common across parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, where heavily armed criminal groups routinely raid villages, schools and major roads.
The latest incident has renewed concern over the scale of insecurity in Niger State and surrounding areas, particularly if residents’ estimate of roughly 600 captives is confirmed.
