Residents of Kwara LG Stage Protest over Non-rescue of 176 Woro Community Victims of Abduction

•PDP demands urgent rescue of victims from captivity

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

 Residents of Kaiama in Kaiama Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State yesterday staged a peaceful protest over the non-rescue of 176 residents of Woro community who have remained in the captivity of suspected bandits for the past 172 days.

This is coming as the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has called on the state government to urgently engage security agencies for the rescue of the 176 victims.

Bandits had attacked the community on February 3, 2026, abducting 176 persons who have remained in the bandits’ den to date.

The non-rescue of the victims had led the residents of the community to embark on fervent prayers and fasting, urging the government to come to the aid of the victims, but their efforts yielded no positive results.

However, the residents of the LGA staged a peaceful protest in Kaiama, the headquarters of the local government, to seek urgent attention from the government to their plight.

The protesters, who turned out in large numbers, expressed dissatisfaction over what they described as the prolonged silence on efforts to secure the victims’ release.

Speaking during the protest, the President of the Kaiama Development Association, Alhaji Salihu Yakubu, said the abductees had remained in captivity since February 3 without any official update on their rescue efforts.

Yakubu alleged that more than 300 people lost their lives during the attack on the Woro community, while 176 others, including women, children and men, were abducted.

He lamented the absence of government presence in the area, saying residents had been neglected for too long.

“Woro community was attacked in February, and 176 people were taken away. There has been no update on their whereabouts.

“We are calling on the government to come to our rescue and bring back our children, wives and husbands.

“Enough is enough. The government should act swiftly to rescue our innocent people. Woro abductees should not be treated differently from other Nigerians,” he said.

Also speaking, the Village Head of Woro community, Alhaji Umar Bio-Salihu, said the community was yet to recover from the trauma of the attack.

He added that other communities, including Nuku, Tenebo, Kemaanji and Maje, had also come under attacks by suspected bandits.

“Since the attack on Woro community, other communities in Kaiama have continued to experience attacks. Our people are living in fear.

“The government acted swiftly in similar incidents in other parts of the country. We appeal for the same commitment to securing the release of our people.

“We are Nigerians. Please rescue our people and reunite them with their families,” he pleaded.

Responding, the spokesperson for Kaiama LGA, Mr. Suleiman Tanko, informed the residents that the council chairman and the Kwara State Government were working to secure the victims’ release.

Meanwhile, the PDP in the state has called on the state government to engage security agencies to rescue the victims urgently.

The party, however, lauded the courage and uncommon patriotism displayed by the people of Kaiama, Woro, and surrounding communities, who marched peacefully in their thousands to demand the rescue of their people.

The party, in a statement issued by the state Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, said, “Seeing Kaiama protesters with placards appealing directly to President Bola Tinubu is a vote of no confidence in Governor AbdulRazaq’s leadership and his nonchalant handling of the security crisis in Kwara State. 

“It is crystal clear that when citizens no longer look up to their governor in moments of pain but bypass him to seek help directly from the president in Abuja, it simply means they no longer believe the governor’s capacity or will to fight for them.”

The party argued that President Tinubu’s efforts to tackle insecurity can only produce meaningful results “when complemented by proactive governors who constantly engage security agencies, coordinate intelligence, mobilise local support and reassure affected communities, and sadly, that has not been the experience in Kwara under Governor AbdulRazaq’s absentee leadership”.