Victims abducted during the deadly attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have arrived in Ilorin after being rescued from captivity following months of security operations.
The victims arrived in the Kwara State capital late Thursday night after their release through coordinated efforts involving the military and other security agencies.
They were reportedly transported from Niger State to Ilorin, where they were received at the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division, Sobi Barracks. The rescued residents were later moved to an undisclosed location where they spent the night.
Some of the victims were also taken to medical facilities for treatment as authorities began assessing their condition after their prolonged stay in captivity.
The abductees were among residents taken hostage when armed assailants attacked Woro earlier this year, killing scores of people and forcing others into nearby forests.
The incident sparked widespread outrage and led to intensified security operations aimed at locating and rescuing the victims.
The rescued residents are expected to be formally presented to Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who has been in contact with security agencies over efforts to secure their release.
Authorities are expected to verify the number of rescued persons while ensuring they receive medical attention, psychological support and other welfare assistance to aid their recovery.
In February, attackers invaded Woro, killing more than 150 people and abducting several others. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga later announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu welcomed the rescue of 308 Nigerian citizens abducted in separate attacks in Kwara and Niger states.
According to Onanuga, 163 of the rescued victims were from Woro, while 145 were from Niger State. He said the victims were recovered from a location within the Kainji Lake National Park Forest.
He described the operation as the largest single-day rescue mission carried out so far, involving the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, the military, the Department of State Services, intelligence agencies and the police.
Background to the Woro attack
The Woro attack occurred after suspected terrorists reportedly sent a message to the community announcing plans to preach, but residents did not attend the gathering. Residents said the attackers later launched a retaliatory assault, setting homes ablaze, killing scores of people and abducting several others.
While some reports put the number of abducted residents at 176, the Kwara State Police Command said the figure had not been independently verified.
The attack left large sections of the community destroyed, with several homes reduced to ashes and rubble.
President Tinubu condemned the incident as a “beastly attack” and ordered the deployment of additional security personnel to the area. The government also attributed the violence to jihadist elements operating in the region.
The attack came months after the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility for its first known attack on Nigerian soil in an area near Woro, raising concerns over the spread of extremist activities into parts of the country.
