Kwara Residents Reject Tinubu Govt Relief Items, Demand Rescue of 176 Abductees

Residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have angrily turned down relief materials sent by the Federal Government, describing the gesture as a painful insult to their dignity following a devastating terrorist attack that claimed over 200 lives and left at least 176 women and children in captivity.

A video circulating on social media, which NaijaChoice News obtained and verified, shows grieving community members rejecting mats, buckets and school bags delivered by a government delegation that arrived in an ambulance. The items were reportedly meant for families who lost loved ones in the February 3 attack by suspected Boko Haram-linked terrorists.

“We don’t need these things. What we want is security and the return of our people,” angry residents could be heard shouting in the footage as they waved away the materials.

The delegation claimed the relief items came directly from the Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu, but the community would have none of it. Many pointed out that more than two months after the massacre, their primary demand remains the safe rescue of their abducted wives, children and relatives who are still being held in the bush.

The attack on Woro and neighbouring Kososo communities on February 3, 2026, has been described as one of the deadliest in Kwara State in recent years. Terrorists stormed the area, killing scores of residents after the community reportedly rejected attempts by extremists to impose their ideology and force people to attend their preaching sessions. Several sources, including earlier reports by SaharaReporters and other national dailies, confirmed that the assailants abducted 176 women and children during the raid, many of them wives and kids of those killed in cold blood.

Just weeks after the attack, the terrorists themselves released a disturbing video showing the captives in weak and deplorable conditions. In that footage, one of the gunmen, speaking in Hausa, declared: “We are the ones who kidnapped the people of Woro and Kososo. We are giving them a final opportunity to appeal to the government.”

The victims, visibly exhausted and surrounded by small children and pregnant women, pleaded desperately for help. A young woman speaking in English begged: “Please, we are begging you, this is the last opportunity they gave us. We have small children with us and some pregnant women. Please assist us.” Another captive, speaking in Yoruba, called on the Kwara and Oyo State governments to act fast before it is too late.

Despite the video evidence and repeated public outcry, the abducted victims remain in captivity more than two months later. Families in Woro say the pain is compounded by the fact that the government’s response so far has been limited to sending minor relief items instead of deploying serious security operations to bring their loved ones home.

Community leaders and residents who spoke in the latest video stressed that what they need is not buckets or mats but concrete action on security. “Our people are still in the hands of these terrorists. Instead of coming to rescue them, they are bringing school bags. This is not acceptable,” one resident lamented.

NaijaChoice News notes that the rejection of the government’s relief materials has sparked fresh debate across Nigeria about the handling of insecurity in the North-Central region. Many Nigerians on social media have condemned what they see as an insensitive response to a major humanitarian crisis, calling on President Tinubu and security chiefs to prioritise the rescue of the 176 abductees and restore peace to Woro and surrounding communities before the situation worsens.

As the video of the angry rejection continues to trend, pressure is mounting on both the Federal and Kwara State governments to provide answers and results, not just relief items. For the people of Woro, the message is loud and clear: bring back our people alive.

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