₦airaland Forum

EXCLUSIVE: Boko Haram Demands N3.52Billion For 176 Kidnapped Woro Residents In Kwara As Negotiations Stall –Community Sources

Fresh revelations have emerged about the fate of the 176 residents abducted from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, with community sources alleging that terrorists have demanded N20 million ransom for each victim while negotiations with the state government have stalled.

Sources familiar with the situation told SaharaReporters that the silence from authorities in recent weeks is linked to ongoing but unsuccessful negotiations between representatives of the government and the terrorists suspected to be members of Boko Haram.

According to a community source who spoke with SaharaReporters on Sunday evening, the insurgents had already contacted intermediaries and placed a heavy financial demand on the families and the government.

“The terrorists have already reached out through negotiators,” the source said. “They demanded N20 million for each of the 176 abducted people. That is the offer on the table now.”

This amounts to N3,520,000,000 (N3.52 billion).

The source explained that the Kwara State Government is currently unwilling to pay the ransom demanded by the terrorists, which has led to a stalemate in discussions.

“What is causing the silence from the government is that the negotiation has not succeeded,” the source added. “The government is not willing to pay that amount, so the discussion is still ongoing behind the scenes.”

According to the insider, residents are not aware of any concrete plan to launch a military operation into the forest where the victims are believed to be held.

“The soldiers are only stationed within the primary school in Woro, they are not entering the forest. This is the same thing that happened at Eruku, when people were kidnapped and later released. They did not go in search of the terrorists; they later reached an agreement with them and the victims were released. Nobody has been arrested till date,” the source alleged.

“What they are trying to do instead is to find a way to negotiate and possibly pay ransom.”

Meanwhile, families of the abducted residents say the prolonged uncertainty has left them in deep anguish, particularly as weeks have passed without any new communication from the terrorists.

Relatives of the victims told SaharaReporters that they fear some of the captives, including pregnant women and children, may already have died in captivity due to the harsh conditions in the bush.

“We are living in fear every day,” one relative previously told SaharaReporters. “Since they were taken, we have not heard anything from the terrorists or from the government. No calls, no demands, nothing. It has been about a month since they paraded them in a video, and since then we have heard nothing again.”

The relative said the continued silence had intensified fears within the community.

“We are particularly worried about the pregnant women and the children,” the source said. “Some of them were already weak before they were taken. If they are in the bush without food or medical care, how can they survive for this long?”

Another resident said the community has been gripped by grief and uncertainty.

“Our hearts are heavy every day,” the resident said. “We don’t know whether our people are alive or dead. We are begging the government to act because we cannot continue living like this.”


“We are losing hope,” the resident added. “Nobody is telling us anything. The government is silent, and the terrorists are silent too. We are afraid some of our people may have died in their camp.”

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that suspected Boko Haram terrorists released a disturbing video showing dozens of abducted victims, including women, children and a nursing mother, allegedly kidnapped from Woro community.

In the footage, one of the terrorists was seen interrogating the captives and asking them to state where they were abducted.

Responding in Hausa, three women, including a nursing mother, said they were kidnapped from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The video showed dozens of women and children standing in rows, many of them visibly distressed. Several of the children appeared half-clothed, while the victims’ clothes looked dirty and worn, suggesting they had been held in harsh conditions.

During the recording, one of the terrorists accused the Kwara State Government of misleading Nigerians and the international community about the scale of the abduction.

According to the terrorist in the video, the government initially claimed that between 20 and 30 people were kidnapped, while the actual number of captives in their custody stood at 176.

Following the release of the video, the Kwara State Government said it was deeply concerned about the disturbing development.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, the government said it was working with security agencies to verify the identities of those seen in the video.

However, as of the time of filing this report, authorities have yet to publicly announce any breakthrough in efforts to rescue the abductees.

The latest fears come weeks after SaharaReporters reported the February 3, 2026 attack on Woro community, when suspected Sahel-backed terrorists carried out a deadly assault on the quiet agrarian settlement.

During the attack, dozens of residents were reportedly killed, including two wives of the Emir of Woro, several of his children, the Chief Imam of the community, a school principal, a headmistress and students who had just returned home from school.

https://saharareporters.com/2026/03/16/exclusive-boko-haram-demands-n352billion-176-kidnapped-woro-residents-kwara-negotiations

WATCH: Boko Haram Demands N3.52Billion For 176 Kidnapped Woro Residents In Kwara As Negotiations Stall –Community Sources pic.twitter.com/zsrizIvf2L

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) March 16, 2026

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Nigeria has gone to the dogs under APC.
I thought Tinubu and his supporters told us that the battle against terrorists has been won and there is now security in Nigeria?

Na waa, U sure say person no go buy form join this bandits...

Egbon eku ijo meta. You see this APC government and Tinubu, they have allowed incompetency to destroy Kwara. N3.52 billion for ransome. Yet many Kwarans want to stand on his mandate. Can't we THINK, have they exchanged our heads and hive it to washman..

3 billion wetin. Omo this kidnapping business dey pay pass church business

Make that Kwara governor pay Jor. He kuku Dey chop the money before

Tinubu is working

The more they pay ramsome the more they encourage new entrant kidnapping syndicates who now see it as an easy format to cash out large.

In Nigeria once some powerful and influencial figures are involved in crimes it becomes difficult to control, a sad reflection of our status.

It is just unthinkable that the leadership of this nation sat as lame ducks while citizens are being kidnapped and used as bargaining chips by terrorists. So sad! Too bad!

So what of the virgin's they demanded? this money is very too much ooo 😭 it's like they should just pack all the virgin's and hand them over to appease these blood suckers

The NSA Nuhu Ribadu has been a monumental failure. President Tinubu is fueling insecurity in the country by retaining him in that office.

The government will pay them as usual

Please let them go to ondo state also and collect 5billion..

As government can't stop them, they should continue paying.

Your brother is the president yet they are eliminating and kidnapping you like chicken.

Later they will come online to brag how they are in power. You're in power yet have no power

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Tinubu is the president o!



🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The same bokoharam they release, in the name of repentant. No other nation in the world give terrorists amnesty, freedom and rehabilitation like Nigeria, yet Nigeria is number one on number of death by jihadists terrorists...go figure.

See step up..they now charge in billi

The second highest revenue generating industry after the petroleum industry

They now demand for allocation

[quote author=Omooba77 post=138787233]https://saharareporters.com/2026/03/16/exclusive-boko-haram-demands-n352billion-176-kidnapped-woro-residents-kwara-negotiations

WATCH: Boko Haram Demands N3.52Billion For 176 Kidnapped Woro Residents In Kwara As Negotiations Stall –Community Sources pic.twitter.com/zsrizIvf2L

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) March 16, 2026

news theres no insecurity in Nigeria. Everything is great.
The government is working

Yep... That's their share of the Oyel money.

I mean... Think about it!

Why kidnap poverty-striken people and demand such high ransom amounts?!!


The answer is simple and quite obvious...!

They know the money will be paid, cos this is a BUSINESS supported and backed by Nigerian leaders starting from Aso Rock.


Can you all now see how expendable and valueless your lives are?!! Your leaders are just using your lives to play games and steal funds, in the name of banditry.


No wonder the lowlifes make videos all the time mocking Tinubu and the Nigerian army.

And, pronto, the business men, aka bandits/Boko Haram would get paid only to repeat the process in a couple of months after acquiring more sophisticated weapons.

This is how we roll.

No today?

E don tey!



@hotseat

Na wao ....what baffles me is how this rag tag militia successfully move this over 100 people across states without being noticed is a big wonder.

I heard Oga Trump is too busy with other matters these days.

This is a big shame on the government of Nigeria, when a government fails in its duty, this is what happens, now the government will begin to negotiate with terrorist

Monthly allocation should be divided into 3 parts so they can use it to pay bokobuharibandits monthly. I think governments set kidnap up to siphon money. I won't be surprised if tomorrow they increase it to 5 billion and kWara government pays immediately

Can u imagine!!!! See the number of person they kidnapped at once. Nigeria my country