Bandits responsible for the February 3 attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area, Kwara State, have claimed they are holding 176 kidnapped individuals, challenging earlier figures released by the federal government.
In a video circulated on Saturday, dozens of female captives and minors were seen gathered in an open field, while an unidentified masked individual questioned them about their abduction.
When asked where they were taken from, the victims responded in unison: “From Woro,” “Kaiama,” and “Kwara.” When questioned about the number of people held, two women answered: “176.”
The masked speaker accused the federal government of misrepresenting the scale of the abduction, saying: “You can see that your government lied to people that you are not more than 30.”
Reacting to the footage, Kwara State Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, said the government is working closely with security agencies and other stakeholders to verify the video.
“Our thoughts remain with all the families affected, and we reaffirm our commitment to securing the safe return of all those impacted. Government officials and security agencies are carefully analysing the video to establish the identities of the individuals shown,” she said.
Olukoju added that varying accounts regarding the number of abducted persons have been reported since the incident, highlighting ongoing efforts to determine accurate figures and respond appropriately.
