Video Appears to Show Hundreds Abducted From Nigerian Mosque Attack

An armed group has released video footage that appears to show hundreds of people abducted during an attack on worshippers in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State, according to reporting by The Guardian World. The attack took place during Friday prayers in Dekara village, where gunmen seized women, children and older people. Residents said the assault involved simultaneous raids on several communities in the area. In the footage, large groups of people are shown sitting in a forested location surrounded by armed men. Children can be heard crying. A gunman speaking in Hausa addresses the families of those being held and tells them to look for relatives among the people shown. The exact number of captives could not be established. Residents estimated that about 600 people were abducted, while police had previously confirmed an attack on worshippers but said they could not verify how many people were taken. The footage was circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp two days after the reported kidnapping. The Guardian’s source material says Reuters could not verify when or where the video was recorded, although no earlier version was found online before Sunday. Four residents said they recognized some of the people in the video. Ibrahim Abubakar said he identified 13 people he knew. Another resident, Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, said residents had recognized elders, relatives, wives and children who were seized during prayers. Police and state authorities did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. Resident Jamilu Ibrahim appealed to federal and state authorities to secure the captives’ release, highlighting the presence of mothers with infants and children in the footage. Mass kidnappings for ransom have become common in parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, where armed gangs raid villages, schools and highways. The source material also reports that the violence has increasingly spread toward southern parts of the country.