On March 22, 2026, armed bandits abducted eight worshippers at an Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) congregation in Omugo, Oro-Ago, Ifelodun area of Kwara State. Three months after, the abductees are still not free. This is after the payment of ransom to the tune of 20 million naira, according to reliable sources.
But what wasn’t told in earlier reports of the abduction is that among the abductees is a Deaf widow, Mosunmola Adekunle. This omission highlights a glaring gap in Nigeria’s disability rights struggle, namely the critical absence of disability-specific data and responses amidst escalating insecurity in the region and country at large.
Given, the security crisis affects all irrespective of disability, but persons with disabilities are more vulnerable. Besides, according to section 25 of the Nigeria Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 the government has a duty to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations risk, including the current kidnappings, etc. Furthermore, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), article 11 mandates “taking…all necessary measures to ensure protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risks…”
It is this glaring non implementation of a documented law as well as the inadequate representation of experiences of persons with disabilities in the current national security that brought togethercommunity members, disability advocates, the media and human rights stakeholders in a press conference held at the Ilorin office of Jibore Impeccable Foundation on Thursday, June 18. The conference, spear-headed by Jibore Foundation, and themed: “Insecurity and the plight of Persons with Disabilities in Oro-Ago kingdom and Kwara State” was a direct appeal to the Federal Government and security agencies, with Mrs Adekunle as case study.
Executive Director of Jibore Foundation, Joy Bolarin, while highlighting sufferings and vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities in Kwara communities as a result of incessant bandit-attacks and kidnappings told the gathering:
“We sympathise with all victims of kidnapping across the country, but we are specifically drawing attention to the plight of persons with disabilities. We are calling on the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government, local authorities, security agencies and all relevant stakeholders to rescue Mrs Adekunle and others still in captivity”
She decried continued captivity of the Deaf woman, calling it“painful and unacceptable”, especially considering her disability and family circumstances. She went on to reveal that besides being widowed, Adekunle has seven children. Who will take care of the children now? She asked.
Bolarin expressed concern over the physical and emotional trauma Adekunle might be enduring in captivity, noting how her disconnect from verbal instructions could expose her to greater danger.
“She cannot hear gunshots. If instructions are given verbally, she may not understand. It is heartbreaking to imagine what she is going through in the forest. It is almost three months now, and we cannot continue to keep silent,” she added.
Rachael Adelokun, sister to the abducted Deaf woman, called on President Bola Tinubu, security agencies and all relevant authorities to intervene in the situation.
“My sister is Deaf. She only understands what she sees. She went to church to worship God and was kidnapped. We are pleading with the government to come to our aid,” Adelokun said.
Further worsening fears is information reaching the Kwara disability community and family of the Deaf abductee that five of the eight worshippers abducted during the church attack had died in captivity.An unconfirmed report says the Deaf woman is among those still alive.
“We learnt that five of the abducted victims have died, while the remaining three are still in the kidnappers’ den. One escapee claimed that they are still alive in the forest. We are begging President Tinubu to help us”, Adelokun said.
The claim was reiterated by an Omugo community elder, MrTajudeen Jimoh. According to him, a farmer who escaped the kidnappers den informed the community that five members of the group of eight abducted from the church had died in captivity.
“He told us one of the victims died on his lap. He confirmed that the remaining three captives are still with the kidnappers. We do not know their present condition. Whether it rains or shines, they remain in the forest,” he said.
There’s reason to fear when Bolarin cited a similar case of ransom paid but victim eventually dying in captivity. It involved AdemolaOnijala, a physically challenged resident of Isin community who was reportedly abducted last December.
“The kidnappers later informed the family that they had killed and buried him despite ransom payments being made. Up till today, nothing has been heard about him. He left behind a young wife and four children”, she said.
Bolarin also laments how insecurity has crippled social and economic activities in several communities across the area, forcing many residents to flee their homes and businesses.
“Entire communities have been displaced. I own a school that has operated for more than 30 years, but we can no longer function because of the insecurity in our area,”
Ajayi Mercy from the Kwara State office of the Nation Human Rights Commission (NHRC) described the situation as a serious human rights concern that calls for joint efforts from all stakeholdersto tackle. According to her, records from the commission show thatmore than 390 people had reportedly been killed, with over 200abducted in various incidents in Kwara.
However, from a disability rights context, random data like the above – devoid of disability representation still leaves much to be desired. It makes it hard to grasp how vulnerable and impacted persons with disabilities can be in the face of the current security crisis. Worse still, it could result in them being excluded and in non-implementation of a right clearly stated in the Nigeria disability act.
In organizing this press conference, Jibore Foundation intends to serve a wake up call to stakeholder bodies like the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Joint National Association for Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, and well-meaning individuals to the task of pushing for actualizing the rights of vulnerable persons with disabilities to government protection and response as Kwara communities and the entire country continue to grapple with kidnappings and banditry.
Representatives from the National Orientation Agency, civil society groups, non-governmental organizations, JONAPWD Kwara State, and religious institutions present at the briefing echoed the Foundation’s concerns. They urged stronger collaborative efforts to confront the worsening security challenges and emphasized the need for persons with disabilities to be deliberately included in security planning, humanitarian responses, and recovery programmes.