26, July 2026
Residents of Kaiama in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State held a peaceful protest on Saturday demanding urgent government action to rescue 176 people from Woro community who have been held by suspected bandits for 172 days.
The community was attacked on February 3, 2026. Since then, the abducted residents have remained in captivity.
During the attack, it was gathered that over 300 people were reportedly killed.
Those taken include women, children and men.
For months, members of the community have turned to prayers and fasting, asking for government intervention. According to residents, these efforts have not yielded any result, which led to frustration and the decision to stage a public demonstration.
The protesters gathered in large numbers at Kaiama, the local government headquarters.
They expressed anger over the prolonged silence and lack of updates on rescue efforts. Placards were displayed as they called on authorities to act immediately.
Leaders who spoke at the protest said the victims have been in captivity since February without any official communication.
They criticized the absence of government presence in the area and said residents have felt abandoned for a long time.
The appeal was for all abducted persons to be treated with the same urgency given to similar cases in other parts of the country.
The traditional ruler of Woro community also addressed the crowd.
He said the community is yet to recover from the trauma of the attack. He noted that other nearby communities have also experienced attacks by suspected bandits, leaving residents living in constant fear. He asked for the same level of commitment shown in other states to be extended to Kwara.
In response, the spokesperson for Kaiama Local Government said the council chairman and the state government are working to secure the release of the victims. He assured residents that efforts are ongoing, though no timeline was given.
The state chapter of the opposition party also reacted. In a statement, it commended the peaceful conduct of the protesters and urged the government to engage security agencies without delay.
The party said the fact that residents were appealing directly to the President showed a loss of confidence in state leadership, and called for more proactive coordination on security to reassure affected communities.
