World news | The Guardian
· collected 2026-08-25 · by Reuters in Maidiguri
An armed group has posted a video on social media showing approximately 600 people, including women, children, and older individuals, being held captive after an attack on a mosque in Nigeria's Niger State last week. The video was posted two days after the kidnapping occurred, when gunmen attacked worshippers at the Dekara village mosque during Friday prayers. According to residents, they have identified around 13 people in the video as their own relatives and neighbors. The kidnappings are part of a larger trend of mass abductions for ransom that have become common in north-western and central Nigeria.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Hundreds of women, children, and older people have been abducted after an attack on a mosque in Dekara village, Nigeria's Niger State, last week. A video posted on Facebook and WhatsApp shows about 600 people, seated in a forested area surrounded by armed men, with several children crying in the background. The abductions are part of a growing trend of mass kidnappings for ransom in north-central Nigeria, where gangs frequently raid villages, schools, and highways to extort large sums of money. The attackers, speaking in Hausa, have contacted the families of the captives via video, urging them to identify their relatives among the detained. This is not an isolated incident, as mass kidnappings have become increasingly common in parts of north-western and north-central Nigeria. The violence has previously been concentrated in the north, but has recently spread southwards.
Written for “Nigeria Mosque Kidnapping Incident” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score -0.35 for article 2204 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-27
An armed group has posted a video showing what residents said were about 600 women, children and older people abducted in an attack on a mosque in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State last week.
asserted
residents → post → State
The video, posted on Facebook and WhatsApp, showed large groups of people seated in a forested area surrounded by armed men.
asserted
video → post → men
Several children could be heard crying in the background.
uncertain
children → hear → background
Mass kidnappings for ransom have become common in parts of north-western and north-central Nigeria, where heavily armed gangs frequently raid villages, schools and highways and hold them until paid large sums of money.
asserted
gangs → become → money
The violence was previously focused in the north of the country, but gunmen have increasingly moved south.
asserted
gunmen → focus → country
The video surfaced two days after the latest kidnapping, when gunmen attacked worshippers at the mosque in Dekara village during Friday prayers, taking people away in what residents said were simultaneous raids on several communities.
asserted
residents → surface → communities
In the video, a gunman speaking in Hausa addressed families of the captives and urged them to identify relatives among the people in the footage.
asserted
gunman → speak → footage
We are showing you this video so that you can identify your family members, your fathers, mothers, children and relatives,” the gunman said.
asserted
gunman → show → members
Reuters could not verify the exact date or the location where the video was filmed.
uncertain
video → verify → date
However, no older version of the video was found posted online before Sunday.
asserted
version → find → Sunday
Four residents said they were able to confirm the identities of some of those seized.
asserted
they → say → those
I’ve identified 13 people that I know,” Ibrahim Abubakar said.
asserted
Abubakar → identify → that
Another resident, Abdulmutallib Muqaddas Dindi, said those who appeared in the video had been seized during the prayers.
asserted
who → say → prayers
“We have identified our elders, relatives, and some of us have seen their wives and children in the video,” he said.
asserted
he → identify → video
Police and state authorities did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.
asserted
Police → respond → Monday
Police had earlier confirmed an attack on worshippers in the area but said they could not verify the number of people abducted.
uncertain
they → confirm → people
Jamilu Ibrahim, another resident, appealed to the federal and state authorities to secure the release of the captives, pointing out the number of mothers with infants and children among those shown in the footage.
asserted
Ibrahim → appeal → footage
