Key Points

• A fresh video shows abductees from the Feb. 3 attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area, many appearing malnourished and visibly weakened after more than two months in captivity.
• Victims in the footage say children, pregnant women and sick persons are among those still being held, and describe the video as their “last opportunity” to appeal for rescue.
• Earlier footage from February suggested the number of abductees could be as high as 176, far exceeding the figures initially acknowledged by authorities.

More than two months after gunmen swept through Woro and neighboring communities in Kwara State, killing scores and taking dozens captive, a new video has surfaced showing the abductees still in the hands of their captors, many of them visibly weakened and making desperate appeals for help.

The footage, obtained Thursday, shows a large group of women and children gathered at an undisclosed location. Their clothes are dirty and worn. Several appear malnourished. One young woman addressed the camera in English, her voice unsteady.

“We are begging you; this is our last opportunity,” she said. “We have been here since February 3. Please come to our rescue.”

A crisis that has grown larger than officials admitted

The Feb. 3 attack on Woro and nearby Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area drew national attention when an earlier video emerged on Feb. 14, showing women and children seated in rows while armed men questioned them in Hausa about their identities and origins.

In that footage, one of the armed men directly challenged official accounts of the abduction’s scale.

“They said those abducted were about 25 or 30. Let them look here,” he said. “Ask them how many they are.”

Some of the women responded with a figure of 174. Another segment of the same video put the number at 176. The gap between those figures and what authorities had publicly acknowledged fueled outrage and concern among families still searching for missing relatives.

Suspected members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, commonly known as Boko Haram, are believed to be behind the attack and abductions.

Children, pregnant women, the sick still held

The new video deepens the urgency. Victims speaking in Yoruba appealed directly to state governments by name.

“We have small children with us, and some women are pregnant,” one captive said. “Please, Kwara State Government, Oyo State Government, help us. This is the last chance they gave us.”

One of the armed men visible in the footage confirmed responsibility for the abduction and said the video was being permitted so governments could hear from the victims directly.

“We are the ones who kidnapped them. They have been begging us, and we have given them this opportunity so their government can hear from them,” he said.

Signs of possible indoctrination

Beyond the physical condition of the captives, observers noted a more troubling element in the footage. Some of the abductees made statements suggesting exposure to ideological teachings during their time in captivity.

“They teach us things we did not know before,” one woman said. “But we are still begging you, please come and rescue us.”

Government response has offered little comfort

When the first video emerged in February, the Kwara State Government acknowledged the distress it caused. The commissioner for communications, Bolanle Olukoju, said security agencies were working to verify the identities of those seen in the footage and intensify rescue efforts.

“Our thoughts are with all the families affected, and we reaffirm our commitment to securing the safe return of all those impacted,” Olukoju said at the time.

That statement came weeks ago. The captives are still gone.

Attempts to obtain a response from the Kwara State Police Command on the new video were unsuccessful. Messages sent to the command’s spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, had not been returned as of press time.