Concerned youths in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State on Friday organised a peaceful protest to demand the immediate rescue of residents of Woro community who have remained in kidnappers’ captivity for 174 days.
The demonstration, which drew traditional rulers, community leaders, women, youths and relatives of the victims, was aimed at drawing the attention of President Bola Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and security agencies to the prolonged captivity of the abductees and the continued hardship being endured by their families.
Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of the Kwara State Government’s Intervention Committee on the Woro-Nuku crisis and Kiwozi of Wajibe, (HRH.)Alh Ahmed Ibn-Mohammed, said the community could no longer remain silent while scores of its people remained in captivity despite repeated appeals for government intervention.
He noted that communities such as Papiri and Ogbomosho had witnessed the release of kidnapped victims and appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that those abducted from Woro were also reunited with their families without further delay.
Alh Ahmed described the situation as heartbreaking, saying the victims had spent about 174 days in captivity, leaving their relatives in constant pain and uncertainty.
He urged the Federal Government to accelerate rescue efforts and fulfil earlier assurances to strengthen security in the area through the deployment of additional military personnel.
He also called for the rehabilitation of critical road networks linking Kaiama with Kishi, New Bussa, Baruten and Bode-Sadu, arguing that improved infrastructure would enhance security operations and improve the socio-economic wellbeing of residents.
Also addressing the gathering, Traditional ruler of Woro community, 74-year-old Alhaji Umar Salihu, who lost family members during the attack and whose wives and children remain among those abducted, lamented the emotional toll the incident has taken on the community.
According to him, families of the kidnapped visit his residence almost daily in tears, seeking information about the whereabouts of their loved ones and pleading for their safe return.
He said the continued captivity of the victims had left many families traumatised and appealed for urgent intervention to end their suffering.
The organisers of the protest said the demonstration was intended to amplify the voices of affected families and remind authorities that hundreds of lives had been disrupted since the attack on Woro community.
They maintained that the protest was peaceful and driven solely by the desire to see every abducted resident rescued alive.
The protesters urged the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government and security agencies to intensify rescue operations and restore confidence among residents, insisting that every additional day in captivity deepens the anguish of families waiting for the return of their loved ones.
Photo credit: Kaiama Tv
