Kidnappers release video showing hundreds abducted from Nigerian mosque

Mass kidnappings item Nigeria’s information situation successful the northbound arsenic elections approach.

Kidnappers person released a video of what appears to beryllium a ample radical of radical being held captive by equipped men successful a forested country successful Nigeria.

The video emerged connected Sunday, 2 days aft gunmen abducted arsenic galore arsenic 600 worshippers during Friday prayers astatine a mosque successful Dekera colony successful Nigeria’s north-central Niger state.

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The incidental comes arsenic Nigeria prepares for statesmanlike elections successful January, with information apt to beryllium precocious connected the docket owed to a question of wide kidnappings for ransom crossed the northbound of the country.

Dekera colony residents person reported that gunmen took radical distant successful simultaneous raids connected respective communities.

In the video, posted connected Facebook and WhatsApp and circulating widely, children tin beryllium heard crying. A gunman speaking successful the Hausa connection speaks straight to families of the captives, telling them to place relatives.

“These are each your people,” the gunman ⁠says.

News agencies reported that they could not verify the nonstop day oregon determination wherever the video was filmed. However, nary older mentation of the video has been recovered posted online earlier Sunday.

Residents, including Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, were capable to corroborate the identities of immoderate ⁠of the hostages.

“We person identified our elders, relatives, and immoderate of america person seen their wives and children successful the video,” helium said.

Police and authorities authorities person not responded to requests for comment.

Amnesty International has urged Nigerian authorities to unafraid the merchandise of the worshippers, informing of the increasing menace posed by wide abductions successful bluish Nigeria.

State Commissioner for Information and Orientation Obed Nana told the Anadolu quality bureau that an cognition is nether mode to “assess the situation, way the attackers, and facilitate the rescue of the abducted worshippers”.

Mass abductions for ransom person go communal successful parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, with equipped gangs often raiding villages, schools and highways and holding abductees until the gangs are paid ample sums of money.

Increasingly, the gunmen are targeting communities further south, beyond ‌hot spots successful the north.

As helium prepares for the election, President Bola Tinubu has faced increasing disapproval implicit lax security.