(Terrorists. Photo by Leadership News)
Families of at least 176 people who were kidnapped by terrorists in Kwara State’s Kaiama Local Government Area have once again pleaded with the federal and Kwara State governments to ensure their loved ones’ immediate release after they had been held captive for almost six months.
This occurred amid claims that the kidnappers threatened to kill the other captives and marry the “beautiful” female captives.
Relatives of victims abducted by t3rrorists in Kaiama, Kwara State, have disclosed that they raised over N155 million through community crowdfunding in a bid to secure the release of the captives, but alleged that the abductors rejected the ransom, leaving the victims to remain in captivity.
Speaking in an interview monitored on a BBC service, Abdul Ibrahim, a native of Kaiama, alleged that the t3rrorists had warned they would force the attractive female captives into marriage while k!lling the remaining hostages should their demands not be met.
He appealed to the Kwara State government, the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the captives, saying affected families had exhausted virtually every available option without success.
According to him, the affected communities mobilised and contributed over N155 million as ransom in a desperate bid to secure the victims’ freedom, but the money was allegedly rejected by the abductors.
He lamented that despite everything done within their means, their people remained unreleased, with families continuing to live in agony over their loved ones’ suffering.
He added that peaceful demonstrations organised by the community had also failed to attract the desired intervention.
Also speaking, the Dan Sardaukin Kaiama, Suleiman Bukata, appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to replicate the efforts that recently led to the rescue of abductees in Oyo State by extending similar operations to Kaiama, where hundreds of residents have remained in t3rrorists’ camps for months.
He said the successful rescue of the Oyo victims had rekindled hope among families in Kaiama, stressing that the people deserved the same level of commitment and protection from the authorities, and warned that every additional day in captivity exposed the victims to greater danger and untold hardship.
Commenting on the worsening security situation in northern Nigeria, Senator Adamu Aliero lamented the growing wave of insecurity but absolved the Federal Government of blame over funding for security operations, noting that the National Assembly had consistently approved budgetary requests by security agencies to prosecute the fight against t3rrorism.
He argued that the persistence of t3rrorism reflected the scale and complexity of the security challenge rather than inadequate funding.
He, however, renewed his call for the establishment of state police, saying governors should be constitutionally empowered and adequately supported to deploy local policing structures capable of responding more effectively to security threats in their respective states.
