Nigeria Kidnappers Release Video Showing Mass Abduction of Mosque Worshippers

Mass kidnappings highlight Nigeria’s security crisis in the north as elections approach.

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Mass kidnappings highlight Nigeria’s security crisis in the north as elections approach.

Published On 24 Aug 202624 Aug 2026

Kidnappers have released a video showing a large group of captives held in a forested area in Nigeria. The footage surfaced two days after armed assailants abducted hundreds of worshippers from a mosque in Dekera village, located in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State, during Friday prayers. The video, which has spread widely on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, shows children crying. A gunman, speaking in the Hausa language, addresses the families of the captives, urging them to identify their loved ones. “These are all your people,” the gunman says. News outlets were unable to confirm the exact date or location of the video. However, no prior versions of the footage have been found online before its release on Sunday. Local residents, such as Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, were able to identify some of the captives in the video. “We have identified our elders, relatives, and some of us have seen their wives and children in the video,” he said. Authorities have not yet responded to requests for comment. Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to facilitate the release of the abducted worshippers, highlighting the escalating threat of mass abductions in northern regions. According to Obed Nana, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, an operation is underway to assess the situation, track the perpetrators, and facilitate the rescue of the abducted worshippers. Mass abductions for ransom have become increasingly common in northwestern and north-central Nigeria, with armed groups frequently targeting villages, schools, and highways to hold victims for extended periods until ransoms are paid. These groups are increasingly expanding their reach, targeting communities further south beyond traditional hotspots in the north. As President Bola Tinubu prepares for the upcoming election, he has come under intense scrutiny over perceived shortcomings in national security measures.

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