The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to provide updates and clear timelines on efforts to rescue 176 residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, who were abducted in February.
The opposition party said victims of insecurity in Kaiama, Borno State and other parts of the country deserved the same urgency and attention given to Nigerians who had recently been rescued from kidnappers.
The ADC, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the President’s public celebration of the recent rescue of abductees in Oyo State had raised questions about the fate of other victims still in captivity.
According to the party, the 176 residents of Woro were abducted on February 3, 2026, and had remained in captivity for more than 170 days.
It said residents of Kaiama staged a peaceful protest on Friday, July 24, over the continued captivity of their relatives, describing the demonstration as a cry from families who feared that their loved ones had been forgotten.
“Every successful rescue of abducted Nigerians deserves to be celebrated. But the President must ensure that his actions do not create the impression that the value of a Nigerian life depends on where the victim comes from or whether the tragedy attracts national headlines,” the statement said.
The party argued that the security situation had continued to deteriorate, citing the recent abduction of no fewer than 40 residents from 11 communities in Mayanchi District of Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
It said most of those abducted in the Zamfara incident were women and children, forcing some residents to flee their communities.
The ADC also cited fresh attacks in the Sankera axis of Benue State on Friday, July 24, as well as the reported abduction of a Kebbi State High Court judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, from his residence in the early hours of Sunday, July 26.
The party further expressed concern over continued insurgent attacks and displacement in Borno State, saying the incidents demonstrated that insecurity remained a daily reality for millions of Nigerians.
Against this backdrop, the ADC asked the Federal Government to provide specific information on efforts to secure the release of those still in captivity.
It asked: “What progress has been made in securing the release of the 176 abductees from Kaiama? What is being done to rescue the women and children taken in Zamfara? What efforts are underway to secure the release of Justice Bunza? What updates are available on victims in Borno and other affected communities?”
The opposition party said President Tinubu owed Nigerians more than general assurances on the security situation, insisting that the government should provide regular updates and timelines on its rescue efforts.
The ADC also faulted the President’s repeated assurances that insecurity in the North would soon be brought to an end.
The party referred to Tinubu’s assurance on Thursday, July 23, that insecurity in the North would soon end, but said such assurances would have little impact without visible results.
“Hope cannot survive indefinitely on declarations alone. There comes a point when repeated assurances, unaccompanied by visible results, cease to reassure. They simply become another headline in a long cycle of official optimism and public disappointment,” it said.
The party further accused the administration of being more consistent in issuing reassuring statements on insecurity than in delivering tangible results.
It described Tinubu as “a professional statement-maker” on security matters, while accusing the government of failing to adequately address the plight of communities affected by killings, kidnappings and displacement.
The ADC therefore urged the President to demonstrate through concrete action that every Nigerian life had equal value.
It said those abducted in Woro, the women and children taken in Zamfara, residents affected by attacks in Benue and Borno, as well as Justice Bunza, deserved the same urgency and attention as other victims whose rescue had been publicly celebrated.
“Leadership is not measured by how quickly government celebrates a rescue; it is measured by whether no Nigerian is left behind or forgotten,” the party
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