Boko Haram has given the Nigerian government one week to respond to demands over 176 abducted women and children from Woro and Kososo communities in Kwara State or face mass execution and forced marriages. The ultimatum was relayed after a Jumu'ah prayer session on Friday, according to community members and families of the victims. A resident said an abductee called her family on Saturday, confirming that the captors complained about spending resources to feed the group without progress in negotiations. The terrorists claimed the government was not taking the matter seriously and warned they would marry off some of the girls and kill those deemed liabilities if no agreement was reached within seven days.
The abductees appeared in a video released on April 9, 2026, showing them weak and in poor condition as they pleaded for rescue. An armed militant speaking in Hausa claimed responsibility, stating the victims had been indoctrinated and their way of life changed. He said the video was a final opportunity for the government to act. Earlier, on March 16, 2026, the abductors demanded N20 million per victim, a ransom the Kwara State Government refused to pay, stalling talks. Families expressed fear that children and pregnant women may not survive the harsh conditions. One relative said they no longer sleep, waiting for government action before the deadline expires.
Boko Haram is demanding ransom for 176 abductees while claiming to spend their own resources on feeding them, exposing a contradiction in their narrative. They frame the abductions as ideological but act on financial terms, undermining their stated motives. The refusal of the Kwara State Government to pay N20 million per victim has prolonged the crisis. Families now face the terror of a one-week countdown to potential killings or forced marriages.
⚖️ NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
