No fewer than 176 residents abducted during the February 3 terrorist attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have regained their freedom after spending nearly six months in captivity.
The development, announced by the Kwara State Government on Wednesday, brought relief to families and communities that had endured months of uncertainty, protests and desperate efforts to secure the victims’ release.
In a statement shared on its official Facebook page, the state government described the rescue as a major breakthrough and praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, security agencies and all those involved in the operation.
“Alhamdulillaah and kudos to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, security forces, and everyone who played a role in this huge feat. We are grateful!”
While authorities did not immediately disclose how the victims regained their freedom, multiple community sources said heavily armed security personnel, supported by military hardware, had earlier moved into the forest before reports of the release reached residents.
Aliyu Umar, a resident and member of the community negotiating team through a mediator, said information available to the community suggested the Federal Government carried out a rescue mission.
According to him, residents of nearby Wawa community reported seeing seven or eight long vehicles, accompanied by Army armoured tanks, heading into the forest.
He added that information circulating among residents indicated the freed captives had already been handed over to government officials.
“We were hearing that the Federal Government was making moves. Information reaching me was that they had been handed over. People in Wawa saw several vehicles and Army armoured tanks heading into the forest,” he said.
The Village Head of Woro, Alhaji Salihu Umar, also confirmed receiving similar reports.
He said information available to the community indicated that a Federal Government rescue team had entered the forest to receive the victims, with residents sighting buses, Army gun trucks and other security vehicles moving toward the area.
“We had not spoken with the victims ourselves at that point, but everything we were hearing suggested they had been handed over to the rescue team,” he said.
Also confirming the development, Dr Abdul Ibrahim, who played a key role in community efforts to secure the captives’ release, said the exact circumstances surrounding their freedom were still unknown.
“Yes, it is true. They are arranging vehicles to bring them to Ilọrin. We do not know exactly how they secured the release. We do not know whether there was any negotiation or ransom involved. At this stage, we simply do not know the circumstances,” he said.
The release comes after months of anguish that sparked repeated appeals and demonstrations by affected families.
Only last weekend, hundreds of residents, women and youths staged a peaceful protest in Kaiama after the victims had spent 171 days in terrorist custody, calling on the Federal Government to intensify rescue operations and strengthen security around communities bordering the Kainji Lake National Park, which they described as a major criminal hideout.
Barely five days earlier, families had revealed that terrorists rejected over ₦155 million raised through community donations, personal savings and the sale of valuables.
Speaking at the time, Dr Abdul Ibrahim said the kidnappers insisted they would negotiate only with the governments of Kwara and Niger states because the abductees were from both states.
He also alleged that the terrorists threatened to kill some captives while forcing female victims into marriage, worsening fears among their relatives.
The 176 victims were kidnapped during the coordinated terrorist invasion of Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities on February 3. The attack claimed hundreds of lives, displaced several families and destroyed homes as well as public infrastructure.
The widely condemned massacre generated nationwide outrage and prompted President Tinubu to order reinforced military deployments and intensified security operations across Kaiama and adjoining communities.
