No fewer than 176 residents of Woro community in remain in captivity 47 days after they were abducted by suspected terrorists during a deadly attack on the community.
Findings by newsmen showed that there has been no verified communication from the abductors since the incident, with no ransom demands or contact established with families of the victims.
The attack, which occurred on February 3, reportedly left about 170 persons dead, while several houses were razed.
Days after the incident, a video released by showed dozens of women and children from the community in captivity, heightening fears over their safety.
In the footage, the victims, who appeared distressed, identified Woro as their hometown, with some of them stating that 176 persons were being held.
Since then, however, families say there has been no further contact from the abductors, deepening anxiety within the community.
Relatives of the victims who spoke with newsmen lamented that the lack of information has created uncertainty, with fears mounting over the fate of vulnerable captives, including pregnant women and children.
“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,” a resident, Umar, said.
Another relative, Ajike Ajiboye, said families were now hoping for any form of contact, even if it meant ransom demands, as proof that their loved ones were still alive.
“We are even praying they will call, because at least that would mean our people are alive,” she said.
The families also expressed frustration at what they described as silence from authorities, saying they feel abandoned amid the prolonged uncertainty.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the , Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said security agencies were intensifying efforts to secure the release of the victims.
“The police, in conjunction with other security agencies, are doing everything within their power to ensure that the abducted victims are rescued safely and reunited with their families,” she said.
She added that the command had recorded operational gains, including the arrest of 17 suspected kidnappers in coordinated operations across the state.
However, the Press Secretary to the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government, ZulQharnain Musa, said there had been no positive development regarding rescue efforts as of Friday.
Meanwhile, residents raised concerns over the nature of security deployment in the area, alleging that troops were stationed within the community without advancing into surrounding forests where the abductors were believed to be hiding.
A coalition of 31 civil society organisations also called on authorities to intensify rescue efforts, warning that the prolonged captivity of such a large number of women and children reflects a serious lapse in the government’s responsibility to protect citizens.
In a statement signed by its coordinator, Musa Aliyu, the group condemned the conditions under which the victims were held, describing the situation as unacceptable.
A security expert, Abdulyekeen Bashir, said the development reflects a broader pattern of rising insecurity, noting that forested terrains in parts of northern Kwara provide cover for armed groups and complicate rescue operations.
He added that the absence of a counter-terrorism base in the state raises concerns about preparedness, despite recent expansions of such facilities in other parts of the country.
Bashir also criticised what he described as a muted response by authorities, warning that silence could erode public confidence and deepen anxiety among affected communities.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official update on negotiations or concrete progress in securing the release of the abducted residents, leaving families in prolonged uncertainty over the fate of their loved ones.
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