Trending 
Families of at least 176 people abducted by terrorists in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have appealed to the Nigerian Government and the Kwara State Government to intensify efforts to secure the release of their loved ones after nearly six months in captivity.
The appeal follows claims that the kidnappers threatened to force the “beautiful” female captives into marriage and kill the remaining hostages if their demands were not met.
Speaking during an interview monitored on the BBC Hausa Service, Kaiama resident Abdul Ibrahim said affected families had raised more than N155 million through community donations in an effort to secure the victims’ release.
According to him, the abductors allegedly rejected the ransom despite the fundraising effort, leaving the captives in their custody.
He claimed the terrorists warned they would marry off the attractive female captives while executing the others if their conditions were not fulfilled.
Ibrahim urged the Nigerian Government, the Kwara State Government and security agencies to step up rescue operations, saying families had exhausted all available options to free the victims.
He lamented that peaceful protests organised by the community had also failed to attract the level of intervention they expected.
Another community leader, Dan Sardaukin Kaiama, alongside Suleiman Bukata, called on the authorities to replicate the security operation that recently secured the release of abductees in Oyo State.
Bukata said the rescue in Oyo had renewed hope among residents of Kaiama, adding that the victims deserved the same level of commitment from security agencies.
He warned that every additional day spent in captivity exposed the hostages to greater hardship and danger.
Commenting on the broader security situation in northern Nigeria, Senator Adamu Aliero expressed concern over the continued wave of terrorism but maintained that inadequate funding was not responsible for the challenge.
He said the National Assembly had consistently approved funding requests from security agencies to support counter-terrorism operations.
Aliero argued that the persistence of terrorism reflected the complexity of the security crisis and renewed his call for the establishment of state police to strengthen local security responses.
