Nearly six months after suspected terrorists abducted at least 176 residents from communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, desperate families have renewed calls for urgent government intervention, alleging that the captors have threatened to forcibly marry some of the female hostages and execute others if efforts to secure their release fail.
The allegations, which could not be independently verified, have heightened anxiety across the affected communities, where relatives say months of negotiations, community fundraising and public appeals have yielded little progress.
The victims remain in captivity despite sustained efforts by residents to negotiate their freedom, with families accusing authorities of not doing enough to secure their release.
Speaking during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Kaiama indigene Abdul Ibrahim disclosed that residents mobilised more than N155 million through community crowdfunding in a desperate attempt to meet the kidnappers’ demands.
According to him, the community also organised peaceful protests to draw national attention to the humanitarian crisis.
“We have done everything within our means. The money was raised, yet our people have not been released. Their suffering continues, and families are living in agony,” Ibrahim said.
He appealed to the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government and security agencies to intensify rescue operations before the situation deteriorates further.
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The claim raises fresh concerns about the growing financial burden kidnapping places on rural communities, where families often resort to selling property, borrowing money or organising public fundraising campaigns in efforts to save abducted relatives.
Security experts have repeatedly warned that ransom payments, while often seen as the only option by desperate families, may encourage further abductions by providing criminal groups with additional funding.
Community leaders Dan Sardaukin Kaiama and Suleiman Bukata also urged security agencies to launch a coordinated rescue operation similar to the recent mission that secured the freedom of abductees in Oyo State.
Bukata said that operation had rekindled hope among families in Kaiama, who believe a similar security response could bring their loved ones home safely.
“Every additional day in captivity exposes the victims to greater hardship and danger,” he warned.
Residents say many affected families have been left traumatised, with economic activities disrupted as communities continue to grapple with fear and uncertainty.
The prolonged captivity of the victims has renewed concerns over the expanding reach of armed groups into parts of Kwara State, a region once regarded as relatively insulated from the widespread banditry and terrorism affecting parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria.
Security analysts say criminal networks have increasingly exploited forests spanning Kwara, Niger and Kogi states, using difficult terrain as operational bases for kidnappings, cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities.
The latest incident underscores the growing challenge facing security agencies in securing remote communities where limited security presence and poor road infrastructure often delay rapid response operations.
Commenting on the broader security situation in northern Nigeria, Senator Adamu Aliero acknowledged the persistent insecurity but maintained that government funding for military and security operations has continued.
According to him, the National Assembly has consistently approved requests from security agencies aimed at strengthening counter-terrorism operations.
He, however, admitted that the scale and complexity of the security challenge remain enormous, requiring sustained collaboration among security agencies, governments and local communities.
Kidnapping for ransom has evolved into one of Nigeria’s most pressing security threats, particularly across the North-West, North-Central and parts of the South-West, where criminal gangs frequently target schools, highways and rural settlements.
Although security forces have recorded several successful rescue operations in recent months, including the release of abducted victims in some states, many families continue to endure prolonged captivity of loved ones, often amid repeated ransom demands and limited communication from authorities.
With allegations that some female captives face forced marriages and others could be killed if no action is taken, residents say they are now looking beyond negotiations and fundraising, urging the government to deploy every available security resource to secure the safe return of the remaining hostages.