Boko Haram Issues One-Week Ultimatum To Nigerian Govt, Thr£atens To Marry Off, K!ll 176 ∆bducted Women, Children In Kwara
Boko Haram Issues One-Week Ultimatum To Nigerian Govt, Threatens To Marry Off, Kill 176 Abducted Women, Children In Kwara
The latest development was disclosed to SaharaReporters by community members and families of the victims, who said the abductees relayed the message after a Jumu’ah prayer session with their captors on Friday.
Residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have raised fresh alarm after terrorists suspected to be Boko Haram fighters issued a one-week ultimatum to the Nigerian government to secure the release of 176 abducted women and children or risk mass execution.
The latest development was disclosed to SaharaReporters by community members and families of the victims, who said the abductees relayed the message after a Jumu’ah prayer session with their captors on Friday.
According to the sources, the terrorists expressed frustration over what they described as the government’s lack of seriousness in negotiating the release of the victims despite the resources being spent to keep them alive.
“The terrorists allowed one of the abductees to call her family on Saturday and she confirmed to us that they were all fine and that the Boko Haram people have been teaching them Arabic and Islamic knowledge. She said after Jumu’ah prayer on Friday, the terrorists told them clearly that the government was not taking the matter seriously,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
“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 within one week, they will start marrying off some of the girls and kill those they consider as liabilities.”
The community source described the situation as devastating, noting that families are already living in fear as the deadline looms.
“We are helpless. These are our wives and children. Now they are threatening to kill them or force them into marriage,” the community source said.
On April 9, 2026, SaharaReporters reported that victims abducted from Woro and the neighbouring Kososo community appeared in a disturbing video released by their captors, pleading for urgent rescue.
The footage showed the victims, mostly women and children, weak, exhausted, and in deplorable conditions as they begged for help. An armed militant, speaking in Hausa, claimed responsibility for the abduction.
“We are the ones who kidnapped the people of Woro and Kososo,” the terrorist said in the video. “We have indoctrinated them and changed their way of life from what they knew before their abduction.”
“However, the victims have been begging us and we have given them the opportunity so that their government can hear from them.”
The terrorist added, “We are giving them a final opportunity to appeal to the government. We believe this is clearly understood.”
Earlier, on March 16, 2026, SaharaReporters reported that the terrorists had demanded a ransom of N20 million per victim, with negotiations between the government and the abductors reportedly stalled.
Sources familiar with the discussions said the Kwara State Government was unwilling to meet the ransom demand, leading to a deadlock.
Meanwhile, families of the abducted victims earlier lamented that the prolonged captivity had deepened fears that some of the victims, particularly children and pregnant women, might not survive the harsh conditions in the bush.
“We are living in fear every day,” a relative told SaharaReporters. “Now with this new ultimatum, we don’t even sleep anymore. We are just waiting and praying that the government will do something before they start killing them.”
