Rescued Kwara kidnap victims received in Ilorin, meet Gov Abdulrazaq
By Dele Moses, Ilorin
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has received kidnap victims of the February bandit attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State rescued by security agencies.
The rescued victims were brought to the capital city, Ilorin, after they, alongside their counterparts from Niger State, received first aid treatment at the Wawa military cantonment at the New Bussa area of Niger State.
They were received at the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division, Sobi Barracks, before being moved to a secure location where they are expected to undergo medical checks, counselling and other support services.
While meeting the rescued victims at a private location in Ilorin on Friday, Abdulrazaq commiserated with the families of the 13 children who died in captivity.
They were kidnapped during the February 3 invasion of Woro community by heavily armed bandits who reportedly killed scores of people before whisking the kidnapped victims, who are over 170 and mostly women and children, into the forest.
Meanwhile, the Kaiama Development Association (KDA) has appealed to the Federal Government to fast-track the establishment of a Nigerian Army battalion in Kaiama.
National Chairman of the association, Yakubu Saliu, who made the appeal, said that the inadequacy of the presence of security personnel in their local government area has left communities in the area exposed to repeated attacks.
Saliu, while lamenting that the security personnel currently serving the area are overstretched and unable to respond promptly to emergencies, assured that the communities would provide necessary support for the smooth take-off of the military formation once established.
“The Federal Government is working towards establishing a Nigerian Army battalion in our community. As a community, we are ready to provide a suitable location and every support needed to ensure the military settles in quickly and begins operations.
“If the Federal Government can expedite the establishment of the military base, we are ready to provide every necessary support to ensure its smooth take-off. Once the battalion is operational, security response will be faster, and we believe it will go a long way in preventing similar attacks from happening again,” he stated.
Salihu further appealed to federal and state authorities to rehabilitate the road network in the Kaiama area, saying poor roads continue to hinder security operations and socio-economic development.
