A total of 163 residents abducted from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have reunited with their families after spending about six months in captivity.
The victims were released following a coordinated security operation in the Kainji Lake National Park forest and subsequently spent more than two weeks receiving medical care in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
The victims were among residents abducted during the February 3, 2026 attack on Woro and neighbouring communities in Kaiama Local Government Area. The group was taken into captivity and held in forest areas for several months before their rescue by security forces.
Their release was part of a wider operation in which Nigerian security forces rescued more than 300 abductees in Kwara and Niger states. The Presidency described the operation as a major intelligence-led effort involving multiple security agencies.
Following their rescue, the 163 Woro victims were taken to Ilorin for medical attention and rehabilitation before being cleared to return to their communities and reunite with their families.
The victims, many of them women and children, had reportedly endured difficult conditions during their captivity. Some survivors later recounted the hardship they experienced while being held in the forest.
However, concerns remain over the fate of other people abducted during the Woro attack. Community leaders previously said 176 women and children were taken, meaning 13 people were still unaccounted for after the release of the 163 victims.
The rescue and subsequent reunification have brought relief to families who had spent months awaiting the return of their loved ones.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier commended the security forces involved in the rescue operation and directed relevant agencies to strengthen early-warning systems, community intelligence gathering and rapid-response capabilities to prevent similar mass abductions.
