A faction of the Boko Haram terrorist group has released a video showing the condition of 416 civilians abducted from Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State more than a month ago, claiming the victims are alive and well, as families, civil society, and government face mounting pressure to secure their release.

The faction, identified as Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (JAS), displayed and interviewed the victims in the six-minute, 43-second clip obtained on Thursday. The group said the video was made following a request by the Borno South Youths Alliance, which it confirmed has been acting as a mediator since the victims were taken into captivity. The victims are described as comprising mostly women and children, with a few men. The JAS spokesperson, who did not identify himself, said the group is operating under the leadership of Imam Abu Umaimatul Muhajjir.

In the video, one of the abducted women, speaking on behalf of the group, said: “We are the people of Ngoshe who were abducted during the last attack. We are grateful to Allah, we are hale and healthy with women and children. Some of the sick people here are treated, given medicine and taken care of. Some of our children are brought here without clothes and are given clothes to wear. They gave us where to sleep and provided us with food.”

She added: “The truth is, we are restless and worried about our families and relatives’ wellbeing. Some were killed by airforce bombs. Some were affected by different calamities. Some of our families don’t even know whether we are dead or alive, but we are grateful this video will show signs of life and health.”

The victims, through the spokesperson, issued a direct appeal to Nigerian authorities. “We call on all Nigerian leaders, starting from President Bola Tinubu, to Vice President Kashim Shettima, Governor Babagana Zulum, and Senator Ali Ndume,” the woman said, pleading for negotiations to secure their release.

The victims also called on the Nigerian government, international partners, the United Nations, and global leaders to support efforts toward the safe and immediate release of all abducted victims, noting the presence of particularly vulnerable groups among those held captive.

The abductions stem from a devastating attack on Ngoshe on the evening of March 3, 2026. Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, confirmed that an unspecified number of civilians, soldiers, and insurgents were killed when suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters attacked Ngoshe community. The military base in the community was dislodged, with major equipment destroyed, and residential houses were set ablaze. The Chief Imam of Ngoshe and several community elders were among those killed.

According to a UNICEF humanitarian flash report, the insurgents overran the Nigerian Army’s Forward Operations Base in Ngoshe, killed soldiers and civilians, abducted more than 100 women and children, and caused large-scale displacement toward the nearby Pulka community. Nigerian forces responded with stabilisation efforts and airstrikes that reportedly killed over 50 insurgents. The figure of those held in captivity has since risen to 416, according to the JAS video.

President Tinubu, describing the assault as a “heartless attack on hapless citizens,” directed the Nigerian Armed Forces to urgently rescue all abducted victims and urged the military high command and other security agencies to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities across the North-East.

The Ngoshe attack followed a pattern of renewed boldness by insurgents, with similar raids having targeted military outposts, IDP camps, and remote villages in Borno, Yobe, and parts of Adamawa in the preceding weeks, resulting in dozens of deaths and abductions despite ongoing counter-insurgency efforts under Operation Hadin Kai.

Ngoshe is one of the communities that had been recently resettled around the Mandara Mountains following years of displacement caused by the insurgency, making the attack a particularly devastating setback for communities that had cautiously begun rebuilding their lives.

The release of the video, while providing the first concrete proof of life for hundreds of anguished families, intensifies pressure on the Nigerian government to pursue negotiations or a rescue operation, while raising difficult questions about the capacity of security forces to protect resettled communities across the region.