Victims abducted during the deadly attack on Woro Community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara Statehave arrived in Ilorin following their rescue after spending several months in captivity.
The rescued victims reached the Kwara State capital late on Thursday after regaining their freedom through sustained military offensives and coordinated operations by Nigerian security agencies.
They were transported from Niger State to Ilorin, where they were received at the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division, Sobi Barracks.
The victims were later moved to a secure, undisclosed location where they spent the night.
Some of the rescued victims were taken to hospital for immediate medical attention due to the physical and emotional effects of their prolonged captivity.
The victims were among residents kidnapped when heavily armed attackers stormed Woro earlier this year, killing scores of villagers and taking many others into nearby forests.
The attack sparked nationwide concern and prompted intensified military and security operations aimed at locating and rescuing those held by the abductors.
The rescued victims are expected to be formally presented to Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who has maintained close engagement with security agencies throughout efforts to secure their release.
Authorities are also expected to complete the verification of the rescued victims while ensuring they receive adequate medical care, psychological support, and other welfare assistance to aid their recovery after months in captivity.
Woro Attack
Armed terrorists attacked Woro Community in February, killing more than 150 people and abducting scores of residents.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu warmly welcomes the successful rescue of 308 Nigerian citizens who were abducted in different attacks in Niger and Kwara states,” presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said.
He disclosed that 163 victims were rescued from Woro, while 145 others were freed in Niger State.
According to the Presidency, the victims were rescued from the Kainji Lake National Park Forest, where they had been held by their captors.
The vast forests and game reserves stretching across parts of Nigeria have increasingly become safe havens for criminal gangs and armed groups responsible for mass abductions and violent attacks.
Onanuga described the operation as “the largest rescue operation ever carried out” in a single day, noting that it involved the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force.
Investigations into the February attack revealed that the terrorists had earlier sent a message to Woro residents announcing plans to visit the community to preach. After no one reportedly attended, the attackers returned in what residents described as a brutal retaliatory assault.
The assailants set homes ablaze, destroyed property, killed more than 165 residents, and abducted many others, according to eyewitnesses, although local authorities released lower casualty figures.
Initial reports estimated that 176 residents were kidnapped, though Kwara State Police later stated that the figure had not been officially verified.
The attack left large sections of Woro reduced to rubble and ashes, forcing many survivors to flee the community.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the incident at the time, describing it as a “beastly attack.” He ordered the deployment of an army battalion to the affected area and attributed the assault to Boko Haram, although the name is often broadly used to describe jihadist groups operating in the region.
The attack came only months after the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility for its first-ever attack on Nigerian territory in the same state, close to Woro.
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