No fewer than 176 residents abducted during the February 3 terrorist invasion of the Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have regained their freedom.
This brings to an end nearly six months of anguish for their families and communities.
The Kwara State Government announced the development on Wednesday through its official Facebook page.
It described the release as a major breakthrough and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, security agencies and everyone who contributed to 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!” the government stated.
Although authorities were yet to disclose the details of the operation as of press time, multiple community sources told Daily Trust that security personnel, backed by military hardware, had moved into the forest earlier in the day before news of the victims’ freedom filtered into the communities.
Aliyu Umar, a resident and member of the community negotiating team through a mediator, said reports reaching the communities indicated that the Federal Government had mounted a rescue operation.
He said residents of nearby Wawa reported seeing seven or eight long vehicles escorted by Army armoured tanks moving into the forest.
He added that information circulating within the communities suggested the captives had 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, gave a similar account.
He said available information to the community suggested a Federal Government rescue team had entered the forest to receive the victims.
According to him, residents had reported seeing buses, Army gun trucks and other security vehicles heading towards 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 had played a prominent role in community efforts to secure the captives’ freedom, said the circumstances surrounding their release were still unclear.
“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 marks a dramatic turnaround after months of uncertainty that had triggered protests, appeals and desperate negotiations by affected families.
Only last weekend, hundreds of residents, youths and women staged a peaceful protest in Kaiama, demanding urgent government intervention after the captives spent 171 days in terrorist custody.
The protesters marched through the town, carrying placards and urging the Federal Government to intensify rescue efforts while calling for stronger security around communities bordering the Kainji Lake National Park, which they described as a major criminal hideout.
The latest development also comes barely five days after families disclosed that more than ₦155 million painstakingly raised through community donations, personal savings and the sale of valuables had been rejected by the terrorists.
Speaking then on behalf of affected families, Dr Abdul Ibrahim told Daily Trust that the kidnappers declined the money, insisting they would only negotiate directly with the governments of Kwara and Niger states because many of the captives came from both states.
He also alleged that the abductors had threatened to kill some victims while forcing female captives into marriage, heightening fears among relatives.
The 176 victims were abducted during the coordinated terrorist assault on Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities on February 3, an attack that left hundreds dead, displaced many families and destroyed homes and public infrastructure.
The massacre sparked national outrage and prompted President Tinubu to order reinforced military deployments and intensified security operations in Kaiama and adjoining communities.
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