A disturbing video circulating widely on social media has sparked national outrage after it showed the harrowing moment kidnappers brutally tortured two children and a popular Point-of-Sale (POS) agent inside a forest believed to be in Kwara State.
The victims, including the POS operator known as Y-man, were reportedly abducted in late June during a wave of kidnappings in the region.
According to family sources, they have been held in captivity for over a month due to the failure to meet a N50 million ransom demanded by the abductors.
In the trending footage, one of the kidnappers is seen mercilessly flogging the visibly frail and traumatized captives, who cried and pleaded for their lives.
The forest setting, combined with the captives’ emaciated appearance, paints a grim picture of prolonged suffering and neglect.
“We have sold lands and all our valuable properties trying to raise the money,” a relative of Y-man told journalists. “We’ve even printed flyers calling for donations. But the government and security operatives are doing absolutely nothing.”
The relative revealed that the kidnappers have hijacked the POS operator’s TikTok and WhatsApp accounts, using them to issue threats and share disturbing content with family members.
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He added that the kidnapper has been using Y-man’s phone to make calls, send videos of the victims crying from hunger, and even post directly from the TikTok account—without concealing his identity.
“The kidnapper is not even hiding his face. He’s confident that nothing will happen to him. He knows the government and the security agencies are powerless. This country is finished,” the source lamented.
Social media users, rights activists, and civil society organizations have condemned the gruesome video, calling for urgent action from the Nigerian government and security forces.
The incident underscores the growing state of insecurity across Nigeria, particularly in Kwara and surrounding states, where kidnapping for ransom has escalated with limited response from authorities.
As the victims’ families continue to beg for help, pressure is mounting on the government to act swiftly to rescue the captives and bring the perpetrators to justice. The video has since triggered widespread calls for improved intelligence, drone surveillance in forests, and a more responsive and coordinated anti-kidnapping strategy.