Six Months On: 176 Kwara Kidnap Victims From Woro Community Regain Liberty

In a development bringing immense relief, 176 women and children who were kidnapped from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have finally regained their freedom. Their release comes after a gruelling six months spent in the custody of suspected terrorists, believed to be members of Boko Haram. SaharaReporters confirmed their release on Wednesday, ending months of anguish and uncertainty for their families and the wider community.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Communications, Ibraheem Abdullateef, officially confirmed the rescue operation in a statement. He credited security forces for successfully freeing the captives. The Kwara State Government expressed profound gratitude to the security agencies and all individuals who played a role in achieving this significant feat. The official statement read: "Kwara State Government is happy to share that the security forces have rescued the people who were kidnapped at Woro community in Kwara North. Kudos to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, security forces, and everyone who played a role in this huge feat. We are grateful!"

While the state government celebrated the rescue, specific details regarding the execution of the operation, including how the victims were freed or whether any arrests were made, were not immediately disclosed.

This rescue follows a report by SaharaReporters in February 2026, which revealed a distressing video released by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, also known as Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lidda’awati wal-Jihad. The footage showed 176 abducted individuals, including women, children, and a nursing mother, who were purportedly seized from the Woro community. In the video, one of the terrorists was seen questioning the captives, asking them to identify their abduction location. Three women, one of whom was a nursing mother, responded in Hausa, confirming their capture from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. The video depicted dozens of women and children arranged in rows, many visibly distressed, with dirty and worn clothing, and some children without trousers, highlighting their harsh conditions.

During the video, a terrorist publicly accused the Kwara State government of misleading both Nigerians and the international community by downplaying the true scale of the abductions. He asserted that the government falsely reported only 20 to 30 people were kidnapped, insisting that the actual number held captive was 176. "The Kwara State government lied to Nigeria and to the whole world,” the terrorist declared, emphasizing that the number of abductees was considerably higher than officially acknowledged.