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ABUJA – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demonstrate that every Nigerian life is valued equally by ensuring sustained attention to victims of insecurity across the country, regardless of where they come from or the level of public attention their cases receive.
The party specifically urged the president to provide Nigerians with updates on the fate of the 176 residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, who were abducted on February 3, 2026 and have remained in captivity for more than five months.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said that while the recent rescue of abductees in Oyo State deserved commendation, the celebration had also heightened public concern over the fate of hundreds of other Nigerians still being held by kidnappers and insurgents across the country.
The party cited the continued captivity of the Kaiama victims, the recent abduction of 40 residents from 11 communities in Zamfara State, renewed attacks in Benue State, the kidnapping of Kebbi State High Court Judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, and ongoing insurgent violence in Borno State as evidence that insecurity remains a grave national challenge.
According to the ADC, effective leadership requires equal compassion and urgency for every victim of violence. “Every successful rescue deserves to be celebrated.
However, government must not create the impression that the value of a Nigerian life depends on where the victim comes from or whether the incident attracts national headlines. No nation can build unity on selective empathy,” the party said.
The party noted that on Friday, July 24, 2026, residents of Kaiama staged a peaceful protest over the continued captivity of the 176 abductees from Woro community, saying the demonstration reflected the frustration of families who believe their loved ones have been forgotten.
More than 170 days after the abduction, the ADC said, the affected families continue to ask what concrete steps the government has taken and when they can expect the victims to return home. The opposition party stressed that insecurity continues to spread across different parts of the country.
It pointed to the recent kidnapping of dozens of women and children in Zamfara, renewed killings in Benue’s Sankera axis, the abduction of Justice Bunza from his residence in Kebbi State, and persistent insurgent attacks and displacement in Borno State as reminders that millions of Nigerians remain under constant threat.
The ADC argued that these incidents raise legitimate questions about the government’s broader security response.
It called on President Tinubu to provide regular updates on efforts to secure the release of the Kaiama abductees, rescue victims in Zamfara, recover Justice Bunza, and protect communities under attack in Borno and other affected states.
“The president owes Nigerians more than broad assurances. Citizens deserve regular updates, measurable progress and clear evidence that no community has been abandoned,” the statement said.
The party also recalled President Tinubu’s recent assurance that insecurity in Northern Nigeria would soon be brought under control, saying Nigerians now expect concrete outcomes rather than repeated declarations.
