Key points
- Security forces rescued 176 women and children on Wednesday after six months in suspected Boko Haram captivity in Kwara State
- The victims were abducted from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area, with a terrorist video confirming their identities in February 2026
- The Kwara State Government confirmed the rescue but did not disclose operational details or whether any suspects were arrested
Security forces have rescued 176 women and children who spent six months in captivity after suspected Boko Haram terrorists abducted them from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, bringing relief to families and residents who had endured months of uncertainty.
The Kwara State Government confirmed the rescue on Wednesday through Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Communications, Ibraheem Abdullateef, who announced that security agencies had successfully freed the victims.
The government did not immediately disclose how the operation was carried out or whether any suspects were arrested during the mission.
Boko Haram video in February exposed full scale of abduction
The scale of the abduction first became widely known in February 2026, when suspected members of Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, formally known as Boko Haram, released a video in which they paraded the captives.
SaharaReporters obtained the footage, which showed dozens of women and children standing in rows, visibly distressed, with dirty and worn clothing and several children without trousers, underscoring the harsh conditions they endured.
In the video, one of the terrorists interrogated the captives, asking them to state where they were kidnapped. Three women, including a nursing mother, responded in Hausa that they were abducted from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area.
The terrorists also used the footage to accuse the Kwara State Government of deliberately downplaying the scale of the abductions, claiming the government had told the public that only 20 to 30 people were taken when the actual number in their custody stood at 176.
Kwara government credits security agencies and federal support
Confirming the rescue, the state government credited security forces and the administration of President Bola Tinubu for the successful operation.
The 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, security forces, and everyone who played a role in this huge feat.”
The rescue comes at a time when insecurity across Nigeria’s north-central region has drawn sustained attention, with armed groups increasingly targeting rural and border communities.
Kwara State, though historically less affected than states further north, has faced growing pressure from spillover activity linked to groups operating across the northwest and northeast corridors.