Chilling Video Emerges as Kidnappers Demand Ransom for Hundreds Abducted from Nigerian Mosque

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has faced growing criticism over lax security, including a surge in mass kidnappings across the country. Kidnappers have recently released a video showing what appears to be a large group of people held captive by armed men in a forested area in Nigeria.

The footage emerged on Sunday, just two days after gunmen abducted as many as 600 worshippers during Friday prayers at a mosque in Dekera village, located in Nigeria’s north-central Niger state. This alarming incident unfolds as Nigeria prepares for upcoming presidential elections in January, where security remains a central issue due to the rising wave of mass kidnappings for ransom across the northern region.

Residents of Dekera village reported that the gunmen seized individuals during simultaneous raids on multiple communities. In the widely circulated video posted on Facebook and WhatsApp, children can be heard crying in the background while a gunman speaking in the Hausa language addresses the families directly, urging them to identify their loved ones.

Although news agencies could not independently verify the exact date or location of the recording, no prior versions of the video existed online before Sunday. Local residents, including Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, successfully confirmed the identities of several hostages, noting that elders, relatives, wives, and children were visible in the footage.

Police and state authorities have yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the distressing development. Meanwhile, Amnesty International has strongly urged Nigerian authorities to secure the safe release of the worshippers, highlighting the escalating danger of mass abductions in northern Nigeria.

State Commissioner for Information and Orientation Obed Nana stated that an ongoing operation is deployed to assess the situation, track down the attackers, and facilitate the rescue of the captive worshippers. Mass abductions for ransom by armed gangs targeting villages, schools, and highways have become increasingly frequent, with perpetrators expanding their reach beyond traditional hot spots as President Bola Tinubu continues to face intense political pressure over national security.