By Achile Danjuma
The lawmaker representing Kaiama and Baruten Federal Constituency, Mohammed Umar Bio, has issued an urgent appeal to the federal and Kwara state governments to prioritise the unconditional rescue of 176 women and children who have remained in captivity since February 2026, following a series of devastating bandit attacks in the border communities of Kwara State.
Hon. Bio made the call on Saturday in an interview with journalists shortly after a press conference organised by the Kaiama Development Association (KDA) and the Batombu Unity and Development Initiative Abuja (BUDIA). The groups had convened to draw national and international attention to the worsening security crisis in the two local government areas, which he said has brought unimaginable suffering to his constituents.
“The request of my people is quite simple,” the lawmaker stated. “The people of Baruten and Kaiama want to be treated as people who have a stake in the governance of this nation. They are asking for unconditional rescue and release of 176 women and children that are still in captivity since February, 2026.”
He disclosed that the situation has deteriorated further in recent weeks, with bandits striking at the palace of the Emir of Yashikira in Baruten Local Government Area. The assailants, he said, abducted three of the Emir’s wives and about five or six children, while also destroying property at the palace. The attack, which occurred on May 24, 2026, also saw the bandits set parts of the palace ablaze and target the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters.
When asked what the local communities had done to secure themselves, Hon. Bio responded that the people have exhausted all local measures in curtailing the menace, but are overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the terrorists and bandits.
“The people of Kaiama and Baruten Local Governments have done their best in curtailing the menace, just that the terrorists and bandits are equipped with more sophisticated weapons, reason why they’re crying out for help from the government,” he explained.
While acknowledging that both the federal and state governments are making efforts, the lawmaker insisted that the current response is insufficient given the scale of the crisis. He called on the authorities to double their efforts to ensure the safe return of all abductees and to permanently halt the cycle of banditry, armed robbery, kidnapping, and other crimes plaguing the area.
Hon. Bio also appealed to the international community to weigh in on the plight of the people of Baruten and Kaiama, stressing that the communities—which account for more than half of Kwara State’s landmass—remain largely neglected, with no direct road access to the state capital, Ilorin. Community leaders had earlier told journalists that more than 500 people have been killed across the two local governments since the beginning of 2026, with the February 3 attack on Woro and Nuku communities remaining one of the deadliest.
The lawmaker reiterated that his constituents are not asking for sympathy alone, but for concrete action that treats them as stakeholders in the nation’s governance. He urged security agencies to sustain ongoing operations and ensure that the crisis does not fester into an even greater humanitarian disaster.