Family pleads for release of hearing-impaired widow kidnapped in Kwara

Nearly three months after armed bandits abducted a hearing-impaired widow and mother of seven during a church service in Kwara State, Nigeria, her family and advocates are intensifying their pleas for her release.

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Anytime it rains, I remember there is a person with disability inside the bush. The particular case that brought about today’s press briefing is that of my fellow woman, Mrs Mosunmola Adekunle.

Mosunmola Adekunle was among eight worshippers kidnapped on March 22, 2026, when gunmen invaded an Evangelical Church Winning All church in the Omugo community. Mrs. Joy Bolarin, Executive Director of the Jibore Foundation, described the continued captivity as "painful and unacceptable," particularly given Adekunle's disability and family circumstances.

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This woman had joined others to worship God in church. She was not attending a party or social gathering. Yet bandits invaded the church and abducted eight people, including her. The kidnappers did not even consider that she is a person with disability.

Bolarin highlighted the unique dangers faced by Adekunle due to her inability to hear or speak. "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," Bolarin stated, emphasizing the vulnerability of persons with disabilities in such situations.

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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.

Advocates are calling on the Federal Government, Kwara State Government, local authorities, and security agencies to prioritize Adekunle's rescue. They stress the devastating impact on her seven children, noting that she was already a widow before the abduction. The Jibore Foundation is specifically drawing attention to the plight of persons with disabilities among kidnapping victims.

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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 Mosunmola and others still in captivity.