Five months after Woro attack, group demands release of 176 abductees

The People’s Voice Advocacy Network (PVAN) has called on the Kwara State Government to urgently intensify efforts to secure the release of 176 residents abducted during the deadly attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area five months ago.

In a statement issued on Friday by its Deputy Publicity Secretary, Engr. Abdulraheem Kehinde, PhD, the group lamented that the abductees, most of whom are women and children, remain in captivity since terrorists attacked the community on February 3, 2026.

PVAN recalled that nearly 200 people were killed during the invasion, describing the continued captivity of the victims as a humanitarian tragedy that has left families in anguish and uncertainty.

The advocacy group expressed concern over what it described as the Kwara State Government’s failure to demonstrate sufficient urgency in securing the release of the abductees, saying the silence from the state’s leadership was unacceptable.

According to the statement, every passing day prolongs the suffering of the victims and their loved ones, stressing that the abductees are “not mere figures, but human beings whose lives matter and whose families deserve answers.”

The group urged Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to work closely with relevant security agencies to ensure the safe return of all those still being held.

PVAN also appealed to Kwarans, civil society organisations, human rights groups, religious and traditional leaders, as well as the media, not to allow the incident to fade from public attention.

The organisation warned that growing focus on the 2027 political activities should not overshadow the plight of innocent citizens still in captivity.

“It is saddening that we have all, including our traditional rulers, allowed the politics of 2027 to consume our attention while the plight of these innocent abductees fades into the background,” the statement read.

The group further urged Nigerians to empathise with the victims, noting that their suffering could have happened to anyone.

“Today, it is them; tomorrow, it could be any of us. That reality alone should stir our collective conscience and compel us to demand urgent action,” the statement added.