Kwara massacre:176 abducted victims still held after 46 days

Ribadu

The 176 residents of Woro Community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, who were abducted by terrorists during an attack on the community, have continued to languish in captivity 47 days after their abduction.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that there had been no verified communication from the abductors, either to demand ransom or make any other demands.

This is as the federal and state governments have remained silent on the efforts being made to rescue the victims.

The abduction, which occurred on February 3, claimed 170 lives, with many buildings razed.

A few days after the attack, members of Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lidda’awati wal-Jihad released a video showing dozens of women and children from Woro in captivity.

In the footage, the victims, visibly distressed, were seen standing in rows as one of the terrorists interrogated them.

Speaking in Hausa, the victims identified Woro as their community, while two of the captives stated that 176 people were being held.

Since the release of the video, however, there has been no confirmed contact from the abductors, deepening anxiety within the community.

The families of the victims who spoke with Saturday PUNCH said the absence of information on the abductees had created uncertainty.

They lamented that the lack of communication from the terrorists had heightened fears that some of their loved ones, particularly pregnant women and children, might have died in captivity.

“We are living in fear every day. Since they were taken, there have been no calls, no demands, no messages from anyone. It is as if they disappeared,” said Umar, whose relatives are among those abducted.

A relative of two abductees, Ajike Ajiboye, said the kidnappers had not reached out to her family or any of the other affected families.