Families of no fewer than 176 people abducted by terrorists in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have renewed their appeal to the Federal and Kwara State governments to urgently secure the release of their loved ones, nearly six months after they were taken captive.
The appeal comes amid allegations that the abductors have threatened to forcibly marry female captives described as “beautiful” and kill the remaining hostages if their demands are not met.
According to the victims’ relatives, affected communities raised more than N155 million through crowdfunding in a bid to secure the captives’ release, but the terrorists allegedly rejected the ransom, leaving the hostages still in captivity.
Speaking in an interview monitored on the BBC Hausa Service, Abdul Ibrahim, a native of Kaiama, alleged that the terrorists had issued the threat directly, warning that female captives deemed attractive would be forced into marriage while others would be killed if demands were not met. He appealed to the Kwara State government, the Federal Government, and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts, noting that affected families had exhausted virtually every option available to them.
“We have done everything within our means. The money was raised, yet our people have not been released. Their suffering continues, and families are living in agony,” Ibrahim said. He added that peaceful demonstrations organised by the community had also failed to attract the intervention they hoped for.
Also speaking, the Dan Sardaukin Kaiama, Suleiman Bukata, appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to replicate the recent rescue operation that freed abductees in Oyo State by extending similar efforts to Kaiama, where hundreds of residents remain in terrorists’ camps. Bukata said the success of the Oyo rescue had renewed hope among Kaiama families, stressing that they deserved the same level of commitment and protection, and that every additional day in captivity exposed victims to greater danger and hardship.
Commenting on the broader security situation in northern Nigeria, Senator Adamu Aliero acknowledged the worsening insecurity but said the Federal Government could not be blamed for inadequate funding, noting that the National Assembly had consistently approved budgetary requests from security agencies. He argued that the persistence of terrorism reflected the scale and complexity of the challenge rather than a lack of resources, while renewing his call for the establishment of state police to strengthen local response capacity.
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