600 Feared abducted in Niger mosque attack as chilling captive video emerges

A video showing hundreds of women, children and elderly people allegedly held captive in a forest has sparked fresh concern over a mass kidnapping in Niger State.

The footage, circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp on Sunday, appears to show large groups of people sitting in a forested location surrounded by armed men, with several children heard crying in the background.

Residents who spoke to Reuters said they recognised relatives among those shown in the video and estimated that about 600 people may have been abducted.

The development follows an attack last week in which armed men stormed a mosque in Dekara village during Friday prayers, reportedly abducting worshippers. Residents said the incident occurred alongside raids on several nearby communities.

In the video, an armed man speaking in Hausa appealed to families to identify their relatives among the captives.

The gunman told viewers that the footage was intended to help them recognise their fathers, mothers, children and other family members.

Reuters said it could not independently establish when or where the video was recorded. However, it found no older version of the footage online before August 23, 2026.

Several residents said they had been able to identify people from their communities in the video.

Ibrahim Abubakar, a resident, said he recognised 13 people he knew among those shown.

Another resident, Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, said families had identified elders, relatives, women and children who were taken during the attack.

“We have identified our elders, relatives, and some of us have seen their wives and children in the video,” he said.

The latest development has intensified concerns over the growing scale of mass abductions in parts of north-western and north-central Nigeria, where armed groups have increasingly targeted villages, schools, highways and places of worship for ransom.

The gangs have also expanded their activities beyond traditional areas of operation, pushing into other parts of the country in search of victims and ransom payments.

Police and state authorities had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday. Authorities had previously confirmed the attack on worshippers but said they were unable to establish the exact number of people abducted.

The uncertainty surrounding the number of victims has added to anxiety among families whose relatives remain missing.

Jamilu Ibrahim, another resident, appealed to the Federal and Niger State governments to intensify efforts to secure the release of the captives.

He drew particular attention to the number of mothers with infants and children visible in the footage, underscoring the vulnerability of those being held.

If the residents’ estimate of about 600 abductees is confirmed, the incident would rank among the most serious mass kidnappings reported in Nigeria in recent years, highlighting the continuing challenge posed by heavily armed criminal groups operating in vulnerable communities.