Gunmen attacked worshippers in the village of Dekara last Friday, abducting women, children, and the elderly in a series of simultaneous raids on multiple communities. A video posted on Facebook and WhatsApp shows large groups of people sitting in a forested area, surrounded by armed men. The cries of children can be heard in the background.
In the video, a gunman speaking Hausa calls on the families of the hostages to identify their loved ones: “These are your people. We are sending this video so you can recognize your parents, children, and relatives.” Reuters could not independently verify the exact time or location of the video, but no older version of the footage was found online before Sunday.
Four residents confirmed they recognized some of the abductees. Ibrahim Abubakar, a local, said: “The people in the video are from Dekara. I recognized 13 people I know.” Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, another resident, said those shown in the video were seized during Friday prayers, and “we recognized the elders, relatives, and some saw their wives and children.”
Mass kidnappings for ransom have become common in parts of northwestern and central-northern Nigeria, where heavily armed gangs frequently raid villages, schools, and highways, holding hostages until large sums are paid. Violence was previously concentrated in the north of the country, but gunmen are increasingly moving southward.
Police and state authorities did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. Police had earlier confirmed the attack on worshippers in the area but said they could not verify the number of abductees. Jamilu Ibrahim, a resident, called on federal and state governments to ensure the rescue of the hostages, emphasizing the number of mothers with young children and children in the video.
