No fewer than 176 people abducted during a deadly terrorist attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have been freed, the state government has announced.
The victims, most of them women and children, were kidnapped by armed bandits during coordinated attacks on the communities earlier this year.
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, the Kwara State Government welcomed the development and praised the efforts of President Bola Tinubu, security agencies and others involved in the operation.
“Alihamdulillaah and kudos to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, security forces, and everyone who played a role in this huge feat. We are grateful!” the government said.
Speaking to Channels Television, the Commissioner for Communications, Bola Olukoju, confirmed the victims had regained their freedom but said the government was awaiting further details from the military, which currently has the released victims in its custody.
“Yes, our Woro victims have been released. We are still awaiting more details from the military, but first and foremost, we would like to say a big thank you to the President, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian military, and our governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who hasn’t rested since it happened,” she said.
Olukoju said efforts to secure the victims’ release had continued behind the scenes since the abduction, stressing that security considerations prevented the government from making details public during the operation.
“When people ask: what is he doing? What has been going on behind the scenes? Because it’s a security issue, we can’t tell people about what we are doing.
“But to God be the glory; they have been released. We’re expecting more details,” she added.
Although the state government confirmed that at least 176 victims had been released, it said the military would provide a full account of the operation and verify the final number of those rescued.
