Kwara State kidnappings prompt protests and ransom payment

Communities in Kwara State's northern senatorial district staged a peaceful protest demanding urgent government action to rescue more than 100 residents still held captive five months after a February attack that left scores dead and about 179 abducted. The local Peoples Democratic Party criticised Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, accusing him of failing to provide leadership and urging him to engage security agencies.

In a separate development, three minors abducted from Awun community in Irepodun Local Government Area were released after residents and diaspora members raised and paid a N60 million ransom, along with food and supplies, four months after their kidnapping. The community coordinated fundraising via WhatsApp, while the state police commissioner said he was unaware of the incident.