About 600 women, children and older people have reportedly been abducted after gunmen attacked worshippers at a mosque in Niger State, north-central Nigeria.
An armed group released a video on Sunday showing large groups of people seated in a forested area surrounded by armed men. Several children could be heard crying in the background.
Residents said the people shown in the footage were among those abducted during attacks on several communities in the area.
Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the video, while police and Niger State authorities did not respond to requests for comment.
The video emerged two days after gunmen attacked worshippers at a mosque in Dekara village during Friday prayers. Residents said the attackers carried out simultaneous raids on several communities and took people away.
Police had earlier confirmed an attack on worshippers in the area but said they could not verify the number of people abducted.
In the video, a gunman speaking in Hausa addressed the families of the captives and urged them to identify their relatives among those shown.
“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.
Resident Jamilu Ibrahim appealed to the federal and state governments to secure the release of the captives, highlighting the presence of mothers with infants and children among those shown in the footage.
Mass kidnappings for ransom have become increasingly common in parts of north-western and north-central Nigeria, where armed gangs frequently target villages, schools and highways.
