176 Abducted Kwara Residents Freed After Six Months

After nearly six months in captivity, 176 residents abducted during a terrorist attack on the Woro and Nuku communities in Kwara State have been freed. The Kwara State Government announced the rescue on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, crediting a coordinated security operation.

The victims, including women and children, were seized during a deadly assault on February 3, 2026, that left hundreds dead, destroyed homes, and displaced many families. The attack, attributed to suspected Boko Haram-linked extremists, sparked national outrage and prompted President Bola Tinubu to order reinforced military deployments in the Kaiama area.

Authorities have not disclosed the operational details of the rescue, including whether negotiations, ransom, or a direct military intervention led to the release. Community sources reported seeing a convoy of seven or eight long vehicles escorted by army armored tanks moving into the forest earlier on Wednesday, with information circulating that the captives had been handed over to government officials.

The village head of Woro, Alhaji Salihu Umar, whose own family members were among the abducted, gave a similar account, stating that reports suggested a...