A video shared by bandits has surfaced, depicting 176 abducted individuals from the Woro community situated in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Local residents have verified the video's authenticity, recognizing family members among those captured.
This incident comes shortly after the community conducted mass burials following a brutal attack that resulted in numerous deaths and individuals going missing.
The video, reviewed by Daily Trust, shows numerous women and children gathered in a wooded area under the surveillance of armed men.
Many of the captives appeared malnourished and distressed, wearing tattered clothing; several children were seen without shoes, and nursing mothers were holding their babies in a silently tense manner.
Within the footage, the captives were interrogated in Hausa about their abduction locations.
One woman stated that they were taken from Woro, as another woman confirmed their capture in the Kaiama area.
The armed individual filming expressed criticism towards the government, accusing it of downplaying the scale of the abduction.
He claimed that, in stark contrast to official claims estimating 20 to 30 abductees, the actual number was much higher.
According to him, authorities were misleading both Nigerians and the global community regarding the true extent of the situation.
Salihu Bio Umar, the Chief Imam of Woro, reaffirmed the video's authenticity, stating that he recognized relatives among those present.
"Yes, the video is genuine. These are our people," he told Daily Trust. "I recognized my family; my wife is seen prominently in the footage holding a child alongside my daughter."
He also noted that the kidnappers had yet to establish any form of communication with the families.
"They had not reached out to us regarding anything until now," the village head added.
Another local, Dr. Abdul Woro, corroborated the information, declaring that the number of captives shown in the video matches the community's records.
"Yes, the bandits indeed released a video depicting all 176 kidnapped victims, and we are familiar with all of them," he remarked.
Dr. Abdul further stated that the abductors aimed to clarify the victim count, contradicting the government’s earlier posted figures.
He noted that the armed individuals claimed the number of abducted was significantly more than the 26 reported by officials, taking the time to count the victims on camera as proof.
"They took the initiative to enumerate the victims themselves to verify their seriousness," he added, mentioning that residents were gradually returning to their town.
This latest information unfolds against a backdrop of grim reports from the area regarding ongoing burial ceremonies after the deadly raid.
Daily Trust has previously reported that community members have compiled over 100 names of missing individuals following the assault, with mass burials held for many victims.
Alhaji Salihu Bio Umar, the Village Head of Woro, disclosed that 37 Muslim victims were buried on Thursday in addition to 75 previously interred, alongside another body found on Saturday.
He also confirmed the burial of 21 Christian victims, 8 Togolese nationals, and 8 Hausa individuals from Zakirai.
He explained that due to the separate burial customs of Muslims and Christians, initial figures were documented independently before being reconciled.
"Over 100 people are still missing and presumed kidnapped," he stated, indicating he was advised by the Emir to compile a detailed list of the abducted.
Meanwhile, Dr. Abdul Woro revealed the discovery of three more bodies.
"We found two charred bodies within a house that had been set ablaze and another in the forest," he noted.
He added that a pervasive smell of decaying bodies persisted in parts of the surrounding forest as search efforts continued.
Although security forces remain present in the locality, much of the community has been deserted, with residents escaping due to fears of further assaults.
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