Fatimah Otunsanya
Terrorists who abducted 176 women and children from the Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have threatened to carry out a mass execution if the Nigerian government fails to meet their demands within one week.
The attackers, suspected to be members of Boko Haram, reportedly issued the ultimatum through the abducted victims after a Jumu’ah prayer session on Friday, according to community members and families who spoke to the newsmen.
The traditional ruler of the community, Salihu Bio, whose wife is among those held captive, confirmed the threat to journalists on Monday.
He explained that one of the abductees was allowed to contact her family and relay the message from the terrorists.
The abductees told us that after the Jumu’ah prayer on Friday, the terrorists said the government was not taking the matter seriously and that if nothing is done within one week, they will begin to take drastic actions,” he said.
Bio added that the terrorists expressed frustration over what they described as the government’s lack of commitment to negotiations, despite the resources being used to keep the victims alive.
“The terrorists allowed one of the abductees to call her family on Saturday, and she confirmed that they were all fine. She also said the captors have been teaching them Arabic and Islamic knowledge,” he stated.
A community source who did not want to be named painted a grimmer picture of the terrorists’ intentions, saying the captors had threatened to marry off some of the girls and kill those they considered liabilities if no agreement is reached within the deadline.
“The Boko Haram fighters complained that they are spending money and resources to feed the abductees and that nothing is coming out of it. They said if nothing is agreed upon within one week, they will start marrying off some of the girls and kill those they consider liabilities.
“We are helpless. These are our wives and children. Now they are threatening to kill them or force them into marriage,” the source added.
In a video released by the terrorists, an armed militant claimed responsibility for the abduction and described the victims as having been indoctrinated.
“We are the ones who kidnapped the people of Woro and Kososo. We have indoctrinated them and changed their way of life. However, the victims have been begging us, and we have given them the opportunity so that their government can hear from them. We are giving them a final opportunity to appeal to the government,” the militant said.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the police were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, had not received a response as of press time.
