An armed group has released a video purportedly showing about 600 women, children and elderly people abducted during an attack on a mosque in Niger State, north-central Nigeria.
The footage, which circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp on Sunday, showed large groups of people sitting in a forested area surrounded by armed men. Several children could be heard crying in the background.
The video emerged two days after gunmen reportedly abducted hundreds of worshippers during Friday prayers at a mosque in Dekera village, Niger State.
In the footage, a gunman speaking in Hausa addressed relatives of the captives and urged them to identify their family members.
“These are all your people,” the gunman said, according to the footage. “We are showing you this video so that you can identify your family members, your fathers, mothers, children and relatives.”
News agencies could not independently verify when or where the video was recorded. However, no earlier version of the footage was found online before Sunday.
Residents of Dekera said they had identified relatives and acquaintances among those shown in the video.
Ibrahim Abubakar, a resident, told Reuters that he had identified 13 people he knew.
Another resident, Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, said several elders, relatives, women and children from the community appeared in the footage.
“We have identified our elders, relatives, and some of us have seen their wives and children in the video,” he said.
The attack reportedly affected several communities, including Dakera, Gidan-Zana and Sabon Gida. A local official in Borgu district said about 30 people were killed during the attack and buried on Sunday, although authorities have yet to independently confirm the figure.
Police had earlier confirmed an attack on worshippers in the area but said they could not establish the number of people abducted.
Niger State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Obed Nana, said authorities were working to determine the number of missing persons and assess the situation.
“I don’t want to be too speculative about it because you know how sensitive such information can be,” Nana told Reuters.
The commissioner also said security forces were conducting operations to track the attackers and facilitate the rescue of the abducted worshippers.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the military and other security agencies to launch an immediate rescue operation and directed security chiefs to provide regular updates on efforts to locate and free the captives.
In a statement, the presidency condemned the attack and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.
“Terror will not cow Nigeria,” Tinubu said. “We will defend our people, protect our communities and uphold the sanctity of human life.”
Abubakar Umar, the traditional head of Dakera community, said at least 2,000 residents fled into neighbouring Benin Republic following the attack.
The mass abduction has renewed concerns over the growing threat posed by armed gangs operating across northern Nigeria, where kidnappings for ransom have become increasingly common.
The groups have targeted villages, schools, places of worship and major highways, abducting large numbers of people and demanding ransom payments for their release. In recent years, attacks have also spread to communities farther south.
Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to secure the immediate release of the abducted worshippers and strengthen efforts to protect communities from mass abductions.
The incident comes as security is expected to remain a major issue ahead of Nigeria’s January presidential election, with the Tinubu administration facing growing criticism over insecurity.
Authorities have yet to establish the exact number of people abducted in the Niger State attack, while efforts to locate and rescue the victims continue.
