By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin
ILORIN — A total of 163 residents abducted from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have reunited with their families after spending more than two weeks receiving medical treatment in Ilorin.
The victims were among residents abducted during the February 3 attack on Woro community and were later rescued following a coordinated security operation in the Kainji Lake National Park forest.
They were subsequently brought to Ilorin for medical attention before being returned to Kaiama for reunion with their families.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Kaiama Local Government Chairman, Mr MD Baniya.
According to the statement, the freed abductees were escorted back to Kaiama by the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Area, Abubakar Danladi; the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Omar Shehu Muazu; and the Kiwazi of Wojibe, Ahmed Ibn Mohammad.
The statement said the return of the victims was marked by emotional scenes as relatives who had anxiously awaited their loved ones welcomed them back to the community.
It added that the council chairman personally ensured that the victims were safely conveyed from Ilorin to Kaiama after completing their medical treatment.
The chairman also acknowledged the support of the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, during the period the victims were in captivity.
“We appreciate the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, for his relentless advocacy and solidarity throughout the ordeal,” the statement said.
In a separate statement, Danladi, who is also the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kwara State, thanked President Bola Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for their roles and support towards securing the release of the abductees.
“I express our profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his fatherly concern and unwavering support,” Danladi said.
“We are equally grateful to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his intervention and commitment to the safety and wellbeing of every citizen of Kwara State.”
He also commended the Emir of Kaiama and the Kaiama Emirate Council for their prayers, guidance and moral support throughout the period of the victims’ captivity.
Danladi further appreciated community stakeholders, the Kaiama Development Association, various unions and indigenes of Woro at home and in the diaspora for their prayers and contributions towards the release of the victims.
“The unity and collective efforts of our people formed the bedrock upon which this victory was built,” he said.
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