Four months after 176 residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State were abducted in one of the deadliest attacks in recent years, their families say Democracy Day has become a painful reminder of absence rather than celebration, as their loved ones remain in captivity deep inside forest reserves.
The victims— mostly women and children— were seized during a coordinated night raid on February 3, 2026, and have not been released despite military operations, government assurances, and repeated public protests.
For their families, June 12, 2026, marked another day of waiting, fear and unanswered questions.
In Woro and surrounding communities in Kwara North, relatives of the abducted say democracy has lost meaning in a region where survival itself is uncertain and where every passing day without news deepens despair.
What was once a farming settlement has become a symbol of prolonged grief and insecurity.
The night that changed everything
The attack on Woro and nearby Nuku villages unfolded around 5pm, when armed fighters stormed the communities after earlier threats demanding ideological submission from residents.
The siege reportedly lasted through the night until about 3am the following day, leaving destruction, deaths and mass displacement in its wake.
Survivors said the attackers moved from house to house, rounding up residents, tying their hands and setting parts of the village ablaze. Many were killed instantly, while others were forced into captivity as homes, shops and farmlands were destroyed.
The village head, Umar Salihu, survived by hiding but lost close family members, while his wife and daughters were abducted.
According to humanitarian assessments cited by the Red Cross and UNICEF, between 162 and 200 people were killed, while about 17,000 residents were displaced across surrounding bushes and settlements.
Mass burials followed immediately, with more than 120 bodies interred in a single grave due to the scale of devastation and limited resources.
What remained of Woro was a shattered community struggling to account for both the dead and the missing.
Life in captivity amid worsening fears
Since the abduction, the 176 captives have reportedly been moved deeper into forest enclaves, where communication has been tightly controlled by their captors.
Families say the only information they receive come from occasional videos and forced messages.
In April 2026, fresh anxiety gripped residents after a disturbing video emerged showing abducted villagers from Woro and neighbouring communities in Kaiama LGA making desperate pleas for government intervention.
The footage, obtained by Sunday , came weeks after an earlier video surfaced on February 14, which first exposed the scale of the attack.
In the earlier clip, women and children believed to have been abducted were seen seated in rows under armed supervision, with some elderly women identifying themselves as residents of Woro, intensifying fears among relatives searching for missing loved ones.
The abductors, believed to be linked to Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, used the video to challenge official casualty figures, with armed men questioning government claims while captives responded that they numbered between 174 and 176.
The Kwara State Government later expressed concern over the footage, assuring residents that security agencies were verifying identities and intensifying rescue efforts.
However, the situation worsened with the release of another video showing a significantly larger group of abductees after more than two months in captivity.
In the new footage, the victims appeared visibly weakened, malnourished and exhausted, dressed in worn and dirty clothing, underscoring the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in captivity.
“We are begging you; this is our last opportunity,” a young woman said in English, her voice shaking. “We have been here since February 3. Please come to our rescue.”
Another captive added, “We have small children with us, and some women are pregnant. Please, Kwara State Government, Oyo State Government, help us. This is the last chance they gave us.”
An armed man in the background claimed responsibility for the abduction while allowing the victims to speak, further deepening public outrage.
Abductors threaten mass execution
On April 28, The reported that the terrorists threatened to carry out a mass execution of the captives if the Nigerian government failed to meet their demands within one week.
The attackers reportedly issued the ultimatum through the abducted victims after a Jumu’ah prayer session earlier on Friday, according to community members and families who spoke to our correspondent.
The traditional ruler of the community, Salihu Bio, whose wife is among those held captive, confirmed the threat to journalists.
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.
“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.
Democracy Day turns into protest in Ilorin
While June 12 was marked nationwide as Democracy Day, in Woro, Edu, Patigi and Kaiama, there were no celebrations. Instead, grief deepened as families waited in silence for news of their loved ones.
In Ilorin, members of the Take-It-Back Movement staged a peaceful protest demanding the immediate rescue of abducted residents and issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the government to secure their release.
The protest, which began at Tanke Junction around 7am, moved through major roads before ending at the Government House along Ahmadu Bello Way.
Addressing protesters, the Kwara State Coordinator of the movement, Saidu Tsaragi, alleged attempts to disrupt the demonstration, insisting that the group would not be intimidated.
“We have been outside since 7am to occupy the Government House, but unfortunately some thugs came to attack us. However, we are not backing down,” he said.
“Our protest is peaceful, and our mission is simple: rescue our people. Our mothers, fathers and children are in kidnappers’ dens.”
“Our local government areas are under siege. Seven people from Yaashikira are currently with kidnappers, while several others from Edu, Patigi and communities in Kwara South are still in captivity,” he added.
The group warned that failure to act within 72 hours would trigger wider mobilisation across the state.
Families speak: grief without closure
For families, Democracy Day passed like every other day; marked by waiting, fear and uncertainty.
A community leader from Woro, Alhaji Saliu Bio, said the emotional toll on families remained unbearable.
“The terrorists complained that feeding the 176 people is becoming expensive for them, yet our government is silent. They gave us ultimatum before, saying they would start killing them. We are living every day with fear because we don’t know who is alive anymore,” he said.
“We are helpless. These are our wives and children. Now they are threatening to kill them or force them into marriage,” he added
Another relative, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the silence from authorities had become more painful than the abduction itself.
“Every day we wake up and pray for a call, any news, anything. But there is nothing. We are just waiting in fear,” she said.
A resident, Musa Aliu, said the community had been abandoned.
“Hmmm, wallahi there’s no update. We are still pleading for their release. This Government need to do something fast…it’s getting out of hand,” he said.
Another displaced resident said insecurity had become widespread across Kaiama communities.
“We are bleeding and we need help from the Federal Government. Everybody is weeping, business is no more going,” he said.
A community living between hope and despair
Civil society groups, including the Take-It-Back Movement, have continued protests in Ilorin, accusing authorities of neglecting rural communities affected by insecurity.
Political voices have also added pressure.
A Kwara State House of Assembly aspirant, Ahmad Muhammad, described the region as “bleeding” and called for urgent intervention.
“Over 300 people have been attacked. 176 men, women and children are in captivity for the past four months,” he said.
He warned that insecurity was crippling daily life across affected communities.
“People cannot sleep with both eyes closed. Businesses are closing, vigilantes are missing.”
Government response and military operations
Following the February attack, President Bola Tinubu had declared a national emergency and ordered intensified military operations in the region.
The Kwara State Government had described the incident as part of broader terrorist pressure in forested areas bordering the state.
Military authorities later confirmed that several attempts by armed groups to re-enter Woro were repelled.
Humanitarian agencies, including UNICEF, also provided relief materials to displaced residents.
Despite increased military presence, there has been no confirmed breakthrough in securing the release of the abducted 176 victims.
Waiting for return, closure
For families in Woro and surrounding communities, each day remains defined by absence, uncertainty and fear.
They continue to gather in homes and makeshift shelters, sharing fragments of hope that often dissolve into silence.
What unites them most is not only grief, but uncertainty; whether their loved ones are alive, and whether they will ever return.
Until then, Democracy Day in Kwara North remains what many now describe as a reminder of promises yet to be fulfilled, and a democracy experienced more in loss than in protection.