Fresh tension has gripped parts of Kwara State after a new video emerged showing abducted villagers from Woro and nearby communities in Kaiama Local Government Area appealing for urgent rescue.
The video, seen on Thursday, shows victims—mostly women and children—pleading for help more than two months after they were reportedly kidnapped during the February 3 attack on Woro and surrounding villages.
This comes weeks after an earlier footage surfaced on February 14, which first brought national attention to the scale of the abduction. In that earlier clip, women and children were seen seated on the ground under the watch of armed men, with some of them confirming they were from Woro community.
At the time, there was confusion over the actual number of abducted persons, with victims suggesting they could be over 170, far higher than the figures initially reported by authorities. The armed men in the video also appeared to challenge official accounts, insisting the number of captives was significantly higher.
In response, the Kwara State Government had expressed concern over the situation, assuring residents that security agencies were working to identify those seen in the footage and intensify rescue operations.
However, the newly released video has deepened anxiety among families and residents, as it shows a larger group of captives in what appears to be a different location. Many of the victims looked weak, malnourished, and visibly exhausted, raising fresh fears over their condition after months in captivity.
In the emotional footage, one of the women, speaking in English, pleaded for help, saying they had been held since February 3 and were running out of hope.
Other voices in the video, including children and pregnant women, also appealed to both the Kwara and Oyo State governments for urgent intervention, stressing the worsening condition of those in captivity.
An armed man in the background claimed responsibility for the abduction and said the victims were being allowed to speak so their pleas could reach government authorities.
Some of the captives also made remarks suggesting they had been exposed to prolonged conversations and influence from their abductors, further raising concerns about their psychological condition.
Efforts to get a response from the Kwara State Police Command were unsuccessful as of press time.
