NIGERIA: Families Of Abducted Kwara Construction Workers Seek For Government Intervention To Bring Back Thier Loved Ones.

By Balogun Arisekola Azeez, Kwara Nigeria.

The families of five construction workers abducted in Kwara State have made an emotional appeal to the state government and security agencies to urgently intervene and secure the release of their loved ones.

They made this call at a press conference held on Monday in Ilorin.

The families, represented by Pastor Ademola and Mallam Issa Abdullah, broke their silence 15 days after the incident, describing the period as one marked by fear, uncertainty, and deep emotional trauma.

According to the families, the workers were abducted on December 15, 2025, at about 11:40 a.m., when armed men suspected to be bandits attacked a construction site along the Sabaja/Owa-Onire Road.

The victims were reportedly forced at gunpoint into the bush while carrying out their routine duties.

“These men were not criminals,” the families said in a joint statement. “They were professionals and labourers contributing to the development of Kwara State.

They left for work, believing they would return home safely. Instead, their families have been plunged into anguish.”

The families explained that the abduction has triggered a secondary humanitarian crisis, as the victims were the primary breadwinners for their households.

Their continued absence, they said, has resulted in loss of income, food shortages, and growing distress among wives, children, and elderly dependents.

They further lamented the psychological toll of the ordeal, noting that families have largely been left without official information, relying instead on rumours circulating on social media.

While acknowledging the initial response of the police, military, and local vigilante groups, the families, under the banner of Concerned Families; made a four-point appeal to authorities.

They urged the government to treat the abduction as a top-priority emergency until all five men are rescued, establish a formal communication channel to provide verified updates, offer immediate financial assistance and counselling to affected families, and increase security presence along rural construction corridors to protect workers.

“This press conference is not about blame. It is about lives,” the families said.

“Please do not allow these families to become forgotten statistics.”

In an emotional message to the abductors, the families pleaded for mercy, describing the victims as fathers, sons, and brothers, and appealed for theirsafe and unconditional release.