A video posted on Facebook and WhatsApp shows hundreds of people held captive after a mosque kidnapping in Nigeria, with armed men urging families to identify relatives. According to The Guardian, the video surfaced two days after the abduction in Dekara village — the footage shows large groups of people seated in a forested area surrounded by armed men, with several children crying in the background.

Escalating Kidnappings in Nigeria

Mass kidnappings for ransom have become common in parts of north-western and north-central Nigeria, where heavily armed gangs frequently raid villages, schools, and highways — the violence was previously focused in the north of the country, but gunmen have increasingly moved south, according to The Guardian. In the video, a gunman speaking in Hausa addressed families of the captives and urged them to identify relatives among the people in the footage.

“These are all your people. We are showing you this video so that you can identify your family members, your fathers, mothers, children and relatives,” the gunman said; Reuters could not verify the exact date or the location where the video was filmed. However, no older version of the video was found posted online before Sunday, and Four residents said they were able to confirm the identities of some of those seized.

Local Reactions and Government Response

Ibrahim Abubakar, a local resident, said he identified 13 people in the video who are from Dekara; Another resident, Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, said those who appeared in the video had been seized during the prayers. “We have identified our elders, relatives, and some of us have seen their wives and children in the video,” he said; Police and state authorities did not respond to requests for comment on Monday, according to The Guardian.

Regional Trends and Security Concerns

Residents reported that the attack was part of simultaneous raids on several communities, as the latest kidnapping occurred during Friday prayers when gunmen attacked worshippers at the mosque in Dekara village. The video has sparked widespread concern among local communities and has added to the growing unease over the rise in kidnappings for ransom in the region. According to The Guardian, no official statement from the government has been made regarding the incident or the ongoing security situation in the area.

Four residents confirmed the identities of some of the captives in the video, raising concerns about the scale and coordination of the attacks. The lack of government response has left many families in the affected communities anxious and uncertain about the next steps in securing the release of their loved ones. The Guardian reported that the video is the latest in a series of incidents highlighting the increasing threat of armed gangs in Nigeria’s north-western and north-central regions.