A faction of the Boko Haram insurgent group has released a video showing dozens of abducted residents from Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, claiming the victims are alive and in stable condition.
The group, identified as Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (JAS), displayed the captives, mostly women and children alongside a few men, in a six-minute, 43-second video obtained on Thursday, April 9, 2026. Members of the group also interviewed some of the victims during the footage.
A masked spokesperson for the faction said the video was produced at the request of the Borno South Youths Alliance, which he described as acting as an intermediary since the abduction. He claimed the victims had not been subjected to torture or sexual abuse and were being treated in line with the group’s interpretation of religious teachings.
In the video, one of the female captives said they were receiving food, shelter and medical care but expressed distress over their prolonged stay in captivity and uncertainty about their families’ safety. She appealed to the Nigerian government and political leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, to facilitate their rescue.
The Borno South Youths Alliance later confirmed that 416 people are currently being held by the insurgents. In a statement issued late Thursday, the group said the figure was obtained after days of dialogue and humanitarian engagement, noting that earlier reports had underestimated the scale of the abduction.
The group emphasised that its involvement was strictly for mediation and advocacy, distancing itself from any support for terrorism or insurgency. It called for urgent government intervention and urged both national and international stakeholders to support efforts aimed at securing the victims’ release.
The alliance also referenced similar interventions in states such as Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and Kebbi, where negotiations reportedly led to the release of abductees, urging authorities to demonstrate the same level of commitment in addressing the situation in Ngoshe.
The abductions followed an attack on March 4, 2026, when insurgents reportedly overran a military base in the community, destroyed operational vehicles, dispersed security personnel and kidnapped residents.
