Kwara Kidnap Victims Plead for Help in Disturbing Video as Families Struggle to Raise ₦50 Million Ransom

Victims of a recent wave of kidnappings in Kwara State have appeared in a disturbing video released by their abductors, pleading for urgent intervention from the government and the general public. The captives, including a well-known Point of Sale (POS) agent known as Yman, were kidnapped in two separate incidents in Kwara North in late June.

In the video, the victims visibly distressed and emaciated detail the inhumane conditions they are being subjected to in captivity. They accuse their captors of starvation and torture and appeal for swift efforts to secure their release.

“Nigerians should help me. Please, I am dying here,” said Yman, crying out in visible pain and exhaustion. “We have sold all our properties to raise the ransom. We are pleading with the government to come to our aid. We don’t have anything to eat.”

Children among the kidnapped victims, speaking in the Nupe language, echoed similar desperation, stating that their kidnappers permitted them to beg for public assistance in raising the ₦50 million ransom demanded.

A family source who spoke to SaharaReporters confirmed the victims’ identities and said efforts by families to raise the ransom have so far fallen short.

“These are our relatives. The kidnappers are demanding ₦50 million. Despite selling our homes, cars, and belongings, the money raised is still not enough. We’re calling on well-meaning Nigerians and the authorities to assist us,” the source said.

The kidnappings were part of a series of coordinated attacks by suspected terrorists in Lafiagi and Kokodo, communities in Edu Local Government Area. The POS agent was abducted on a Sunday evening in Lafiagi, while the following morning, two young men were seized during a raid on Kokodo. A young girl who was with them managed to escape into nearby bushes.

These incidents follow the earlier abduction of a prominent agro-chemical dealer, Alhaji Chemical, from his residence in Taiwo, Lafiagi. According to eyewitnesses, the attackers, armed and riding motorcycles, overpowered local vigilantes during the assault.

The Kwara State Police Command also confirmed two separate fatal attacks in Mari and Lile villages in Lade District, Patigi Local Government Area, on June 25, which left three people dead. The victims were identified as:

• Timothy Paul, 35
• Alhaji Abdullahi Shehu, 51
• Abdullahi Muhammad, 22

Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi stated that the victims were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

The rising spate of kidnappings and killings in the region has triggered widespread fear among residents. Community leaders, families, and human rights activists have called on the Nigerian government, security agencies, and philanthropic organizations to intensify efforts to curb insecurity, rescue the victims, and restore peace in the affected communities.