A video appearing to show a large group of abducted Nigerian Muslims being held by armed men in a forest has circulated online, days after hundreds of worshippers were reportedly kidnapped during Jumuah prayers in Niger state.
The footage emerged on Sunday following a series of raids on communities around Dekera village in north-central Nigeria, where residents said gunmen abducted worshippers from a mosque and seized others from nearby settlements.
Local reports have put the number of people taken at as many as 600, although authorities have yet to confirm an exact figure.
In the widely shared video, men, women and children can be seen gathered together in a wooded area under the watch of armed captors. Children can be heard crying as one of the gunmen, speaking in Hausa, addresses relatives of the hostages and tells them to identify family members among the captives.
Residents of the affected communities said they had recognised relatives, elders, women and children in the footage.
The exact location and date of the recording have not been independently confirmed.
Niger state authorities have said security forces are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack, pursue those responsible and secure the release of the abducted worshippers.
Amnesty International has also called on Nigerian authorities to urgently rescue the captives and address the growing wave of mass kidnappings affecting communities across northern Nigeria.
Kidnapping for ransom has become a major security crisis across parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, where heavily armed gangs regularly raid villages, attack travellers and abduct large groups of civilians.
Schools, rural communities, places of worship and major roads have all been targeted, with victims often held until families or communities pay substantial ransoms.
The latest attack comes as Nigeria prepares for presidential elections in January, with insecurity expected to be a major political issue.
President Bola Tinubu’s government has faced mounting pressure over its handling of armed groups and widespread kidnappings, particularly as attacks spread beyond traditional hotspots in the north.
