Kwara Reunites 146 Woro Kidnap Victims With Families, Gives Cash Support
.Troops neutralise 2 terrorists, recover weapons, motorcycles in Sokoto
.Police rescue kidnapped NYSC members in Kogi
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin, Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
Kwara Government yesterday reunited the 146 kidnapped victims of the Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state with their families after 21 days of rehabilitation.
This was as troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have neutralised two terrorists and recovered arms and motorcycles during a gun duel in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Also, the Kogi State Police Command has disclosed that security operatives have successfully rescued kidnapped 15 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted along the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
The Kwara State government also provided cash support to the victims, with adults receiving N1 million each, youths N500,000 each and children N200,000 each to enable them restart their lives after the trauma.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Area and Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kwara State chapter, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Danladi, described the return of the victims as a great and memorable occasion for the people of Woro and Kaiama Local Government Area.
He commended President Bola Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for their efforts toward securing the safe return and rehabilitation of the victims.
According to him, the state government had done well by keeping the victims in rehabilitation for 21 days in Ilorin before reuniting them with their families.
He said 146 victims had been reunited with their families, while three others were still receiving treatment in hospital.
“We want to specially thank Governor AbdulRazaq for the cash support. Adults received N1 million each, middle-aged youths received N500,000, while children received N200,000 each to support them to start again and settle well,” he said.
Danladi urged members of the public to support and encourage the victims, noting that they needed collective assistance to fully recover from the trauma.
He also stressed that security was everybody’s responsibility, urging residents, village heads and other stakeholders to support security agencies and promptly report strange persons or movements in their communities.
The Village Head of Woro, Alhaji Umar Saliu, described the safe return of the 146 victims as good news for the community.
Saliu called for sustained support for the victims to regain their mental strength and overcome the psychological effects of their ordeal.
He commended the state government for commencing the rebuilding of shops burnt during the attack, saying the development would help revive economic activities in the area.
The traditional leader also appealed to the government to support farmers who had fled the community because of persistent attacks.
“Agriculture is our mainstay. Our farmers have lost everything. The government should please support them with assistance to start again,” he said.
The Chairman of the Intervention Committee between the Government and Woro Community, Mr. Ahmed Ibn Ahmed, said 13 people were still in captivity, appealing to the government to intensify efforts to rescue them.
Ahmed said more than N80 million in cash support had been distributed to the rescued victims.
He also appealed to the government to strengthen security in the area, particularly communities sharing boundaries with the national park.
According to him, criminals were taking advantage of the national park, making it necessary for the government to strengthen security around the area.
He further appealed to the government to restore electricity to Woro and other communities still without power supply.
One of the rescued victims, Mariam Ayuba, expressed delight over her freedom and thanked the governor for the financial support.
She said she would use the money to revive her salon business, which had become crippled following her ordeal.
Another victim, Amira Saliu, said she was extremely happy to reunite with her family and friends after spending six months in captivity.
“I can’t express my feelings. I am so happy that I have lost words. I thank Almighty Allah for my safety and the governor for the support.
“I will use the money wisely and plan myself. I will try to forget the experience and move on with my life,” she said.
Residents of Woro and Kaiama trooped out en masse to receive the victims amid dancing, drumming and jubilation.
Many residents embraced their relatives and friends, shedding tears of joy as they welcomed them home.
The Woro community was attacked on February 3, with 176 people reportedly abducted. The victims were subsequently rescued on August 5.
Meanwhile, the operation of the troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA which took place in the early hours of Thursday, August 28, 2026, was triggered by credible intelligence on the movement of terrorists conveying hundreds of rustled cattle through Maikujera general area of the local government.
In a statement issued in Gusau, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, said troops of Sector 2 swiftly mobilised to intercept the criminals following the tip-off.
According to Danja, while advancing toward the identified area, the troops ran into an ambush staged by the terrorists. He noted that the soldiers responded decisively and engaged the attackers with superior firepower.
“Troops fought through the ambush and neutralised two terrorists, forcing the remaining elements to flee into the surrounding bushes,” the statement said.
Danja added that a subsequent exploitation of the area led to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles and three motorcycles abandoned by the fleeing terrorists during the encounter.
The media officer further disclosed that during the firefight, the rustled cattle dispersed into the surrounding bushes. He said efforts are ongoing in conjunction with local vigilantes to locate and recover the livestock.
He assured that the general area remains calm and stable as troops continue to dominate the area and maintain vigilance to prevent further terrorist activities.
Danja reiterated the commitment of the Joint Task Force to sustain operational momentum against terrorist and criminal elements while safeguarding lives and property across the Joint Operations Area.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to aid ongoing operations aimed at restoring lasting peace to the region.
Operation FANSAN YAMMA was launched to dismantle terrorist and bandit networks across the North-west, with Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina forests identified as major hideouts used for attacks and kidnappings.
In another development, the rescue of the 15 NYSC members was contained in a statement signed by the Command’s Police Public Relation Officer, ASP Afusat Saliu, which was made available to journalists in Lokoja yesterday.
“At about 1640hrs, armed hoodlums emerged from the bush around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction, blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions and abducted some passengers, while others escaped into the surrounding bush.
“Upon receipt of the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer, Ofu, led a joint security team to the scene, where two abandoned vehicles—a Peace Mass Transit white Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus—were recovered.
“A coordinated bush-combing and rescue operation was immediately launched. The operation resulted in the successful rescue of 11 abducted victims, including the drivers of the two buses. Preliminary debriefing indicates that most of the rescued victims are NYSC members travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja.
“The rescued victims have been debriefed and, after necessary procedures, were allowed to continue their journey.
“The joint security operation remains ongoing in the surrounding forest with the primary objectives of rescuing the remaining victims, apprehending the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
“The Command assures members of the public that every available operational and intelligence resource is being deployed to secure the area and ensure the safe recovery of the remaining victims.