163 residents of Woro community in Kaiama LGA, Kwara State, have regained freedom after spending six months in captivity and were received in Ilorin on Saturday for onward reunion with their families.

The rescue was confirmed by the Presidency as part of what it described as the largest same-day rescue operation by a joint security team this year.

According to officials, the 163 victims were among 308 people freed in coordinated operations. The other 145 were rescued from neighboring Niger State.

The Woro victims were abducted on February 3, 2026, during a deadly night raid on Woro and nearby Nuku communities. Reports say gunmen killed over 160 people in the attack and took women, children, and nursing mothers into the forest.

Security sources said all the captives were held in the Kainji Lake National Park forest in Niger State. The operation involved the armed forces, DSS, police, and local vigilantes.

Those freed recounted harrowing conditions. Victims told the Associated Press they were kept in a forest near a river, forced to hide and put out fires whenever they heard helicopters.

Hauwa Saliu, one of the women, said captors repeatedly asked if they had accepted jihad. Nurse Amira Saliu said she assisted 10 women to give birth with bare hands due to lack of medical supplies. Another victim, Mary Ishaya, said captives went days without food and had to bury those who died.

Families had earlier raised over ₦155 million as ransom, but community leaders said the terrorists rejected it and insisted on dealing directly with government.

Videos and photos showed the returnees arriving at night in buses under heavy security. One of the buses had “St. Elizabeth School, Ilorin” written on it.

State authorities said the victims will undergo profiling, medical checks, and psychosocial support before being reunited with relatives.

President Bola Tinubu described the operation as a major breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping. Kwara community groups had staged protests in recent weeks demanding government action.

Source: Presidency, ARISE NEWS, Reuters, Channels, Daily Trust