Woro: Bandits Forced Women Into Marriage, 11 Children Born In Captivity, Claims Community Leader

At least 15 women among the 163 residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State who were abducted by bandits on February 3, 2026, were married off to some of their abductors, a leader of the  community union has said.

The national vice president of the Kaiama Development Association, Dr Yakubu Umar Jaja, disclosed this during an interview with LEADERSHIP.

LEADERSHIP recalls that 163 victims were rescued from the kidnappers’ den on Wednesday by a joint security force.

“According to information given to us, about 15 of the women were married off to members of the bandit group while in captivity,” Jaja said.

He further disclosed that 11 children were reportedly born by some other female victims  while in captivity.

“One of the women reportedly gave birth to twins. Sadly, six of the children died, while five were brought out alive,” he said.

Jaja added that some victims aged 15 years and above were reportedly forced or recruited into the bandits’ group.

He also claimed that some victims died naturally while in captivity.

“These are things we are still trying to understand fully. Some of the women were already pregnant before they were abducted. Remember that the abduction took place in February, and we are now talking about roughly six months. So, some of the women were already two, three or four months pregnant when they were abducted.

“According to the information we received, 11 children were born during the period of captivity. One of the women reportedly gave birth to twins. Sadly, six of the children died, while five were brought out alive. I saw some of these children at the hospital. They are currently receiving treatment,” he added.

Jaja thanked the Kwara State government and the medical team for providing the rescued victims with the necessary medical attention in hospitals.

A community leader in Kaiama, Hon. Aliyu Mande, however, said he would need more time to cross-check the claim that 15 Woro women kidnapped by the bandits were married off to them.

When contacted, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said he could not confirm the revelation.

“I was not in the forest where the victims were kept. But I remember very well that one of the rescued victims, who happens to be a nurse, said that there were no cases of rape or molestation of any woman while they were in captivity,” Ojo said.

25 Woro Abductees Still Unaccounted For

The Presidency and the Kwara State Government had said that 163 Woro kidnap victims were rescued last Wednesday.

However, the Kaiama community leaders insisted that 25 victims were still unaccounted for.

A community leader and the lawmaker representing Gwanabe/Gweria/Bani/Adena Constituency of Kaiama Local Government in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Saidu Baba-Ahmed, disclosed this during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service last Friday.

Baba-Ahmed said the number of rescued kidnap victims was not up to the 176 people abducted, adding that about 25 persons among the kidnapped victims were still missing.

The national chairman of the Kaiama Development Association, Yakubu Salihu, also claimed that only 163 of the 176 Woro kidnap victims were released last Wednesday.

He said: “176 were taken away, only 163 were released. Where are the others?”

Therefore, the 15 women said to have been married off to the bandits could be among the 25 victims still unaccounted for, he suggested

LEADERSHIP recalls that armed bandits who attacked the Woro community on February 3, 2026, reportedly killed about 200 people, kidnapped 176 others, and razed shops and residential buildings.