Kidnappers rejected N155m ransom – Kwara families tell government

Families of people kidnapped during a deadly attack in Kwara State say more than N155 million raised as ransom did not secure the release of their loved ones, five months after the incident.

The attack occurred on February 3, 2026, when community leaders said more than 100 armed attackers invaded Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area. They said over 260 people were killed, more than 30 houses were burnt, and 176 residents were abducted.

Speaking to BBC Hausa, Alhaji Abdul Ibrahim, who represented the affected families, said he lost 10 relatives and still had 35 family members in captivity.

He said the community raised N155 million after the kidnappers demanded ransom, but the money was rejected.

“We raised N155 million and took it to them, but they refused to accept it, saying it was not enough. We returned with the money and have not heard from our relatives since. We appeal to the Federal Government and the Kwara State Government to rescue them because there is nothing more we can do,” he said.

Under Nigerian law, paying ransom to kidnappers is illegal.

The families said they were disappointed that while security forces rescued victims abducted in a separate incident in neighbouring Oyo State, those taken from Woro were still being held.

Another community leader, Alhaji Sulaiman Bukata, said residents recently held a peaceful protest to demand government action. He claimed the kidnappers threatened to force some young women into marriage and kill others if authorities failed to act. However, the claim could not be independently verified.

The lawmaker representing the area in the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Sa’idu Baba Ahmed, urged the Federal Government to step up efforts to rescue the captives, saying the prolonged wait had increased the suffering of the affected families.