Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have circulated a video showing about 300 residents allegedly abducted during an attack on Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The clip, which surfaced on X on Saturday, showed a large group of villagers seated on the ground while armed fighters believed to be members of the terrorist group stood around them.
The video was posted by an X user identified as OurFaveOnlineDoc, with the handle @OurFavOnlineDoc, who claimed the recording was released by the insurgents after their raid on the community.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the attackers struck the community around midnight on Wednesday, forcing thousands of residents to flee to the neighbouring town of Pulka.
Many of those displaced were said to have taken shelter along the roadside and in school premises as they sought safety.
Residents who witnessed the incident said the attackers operated in the area for several hours, leaving fear and destruction before the air component of Operation Hadin Kai was deployed.
The military air unit was said to have engaged the insurgents, compelling them to withdraw into surrounding forests.
In the 30-second footage, several armed men suspected to be Boko Haram members were seen wielding rocket-propelled grenades and other sophisticated weapons while displaying their black flag.
Some of the fighters also appeared to be dressed in what looked like Nigerian military uniforms as they escorted a leader past the abducted villagers seated along a pathway.
The victims were seen sitting quietly while the insurgents appeared to observe one of their daily prayers.
The X user who shared the video wrote, “Boko Haram has released footage showing about 300 kidnapped villagers in Gwoza, Borno State, following an attack in which the terrorists reportedly overran a military base and killed several people a few days ago.”
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians not to panic amid renewed terrorist attacks reported in parts of the country.
The President said his administration remained committed to tackling terrorism and restoring peace across the nation.
Tinubu spoke on Friday during an interfaith breaking of the fast with members of the Armed Forces and other security agencies at the State House in Abuja.
He reaffirmed his government’s resolve to defeat terrorism and other threats to Nigeria’s unity, expressing confidence that the country would overcome forces seeking to destabilise it.
