Relatives of the victims, who were abducted by terrorists in Kwara State about six months ago, claim that there is little hope for negotiations to secure their release after the abductors allegedly rejected more than N155 million gathered by the communities.
The relatives said they now worried for the lives of the 176 kidnappees after receiving new threats purportedly from the gunmen. They criticized the government of failing to put an end to the protracted imprisonment.
Community leaders made an impassioned plea in a video that The PUNCH was able to obtain on Thursday. They said that locals had sold valuables, emptied their accounts, and organized large donations to satisfy the kidnappers’ demands, but the endeavor failed when the funds were purportedly turned down.
They cautioned that hundreds of families were left in uncertainty as a result of the development, and many were unsure if their relatives would ever return home.
Speaking on behalf of the affected communities, Abdul Ibrahim said the situation had deteriorated after the kidnappers allegedly threatened to execute some of the captives while keeping others as wives.
According to him, every option available to the communities had been explored, including public protests and direct negotiations, without producing the release of a single victim.
“We contributed more than N155m because we believed it would bring our people home. Instead, the money was rejected and the suffering has continued.
“Our appeal now is to the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government and the security agencies. We have reached the point where only a decisive government intervention can save these people,” Ibrahim said.
He alleged that the abductors had warned that some female captives would be forced into marriage, describing the message as one that had thrown families into deeper fear.
The Dan Sardaukin Kaiama, Suleiman Bukata, said the recent rescue of abductees in neighbouring Oyo State had strengthened the belief that a similar operation could free those still trapped in terrorists’ camps in Kaiama.
Bukata urged security agencies to launch an intensive operation in the affected communities, saying the victims had remained in captivity for too long.
“No Nigerian community should be left to face this kind of tragedy alone. If people could be rescued elsewhere, our people should not be forgotten,” he said.
Recall that on February 3, armed attackers launched what many witnesses refer to as a “massacre” on Woro and other Nuku settlements in Kaiama Local Government Area, killing numerous inhabitants. The victims were taken away.