Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has received residents of Woro and Nuku communities who were rescued after spending several months in captivity following the deadly terrorist attack on the communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The victims arrived in Ilorin late on Thursday after regaining their freedom through sustained military operations and coordinated efforts by security agencies.

They were reportedly transported from Niger State to Ilorin, where they were initially received at the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division, Sobi Barracks, before being moved to an undisclosed location, where they spent the night.

The victims were received by AbdulRazaq on Friday at a private location in the state capital.

The governor commiserated with the families of the 13 children who died in captivity following their abduction by bandits in the Woro area.

AbdulRazaq also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the military hierarchy, whom he said played significant roles in securing the victims’ rescue.

Although relieved to have regained their freedom, the victims recounted the inhumane conditions they endured during their prolonged captivity.

They disclosed that 10 pregnant women gave birth while in captivity, while 13 children died.

According to the daughter of the community’s chief, who is a nurse, she delivered the babies of the 10 pregnant women with her bare hands, while the food provided to the captives was grossly inadequate.

She also said 12 women and boys remained behind.

The rescued victims appeared visibly weak and could barely speak as they waved and thanked the governor while he moved around to greet them.

Earlier, the Brigade Commander, Maj.-Gen. Nicholas Rume, thanked those who collaborated in the rescue operation.

He assured the gathering that the military hierarchy would not relent in its fight against crime across the country.

Rume said the collaboration among the various security agencies had made the rescue possible.

The Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Muazu Umar, who was visibly emotional, lamented the deaths of members of the community while they were in captivity.

The governor and his entourage later visited the general hospital to check on 14 sick victims, particularly the three women who gave birth while in captivity.

The victims were among residents abducted during the deadly February 3 terrorist attack on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area.

The attack triggered widespread concern and prompted intensified security operations across the area as authorities worked to locate and rescue those taken captive.

The development was announced in a post on the official Facebook page of the Kwara State Government, which said the victims regained their freedom on Wednesday.

President Tinubu has also welcomed what he described as the “successful” rescue of the victims.

In a statement, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu warmly welcomed the rescue of 308 Nigerian citizens abducted in different attacks in Kwara and Niger states.

Onanuga said 163 of those rescued were from Woro, while 145 were from Niger State.

The victims were rescued from a location in the forest of the Kainji Lake National Park.

Onanuga described the operation as “the largest rescue operation ever carried out” in a single day, saying it involved the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, the military, the Department of State Services, the intelligence agency, and the police.

He said the President commended the leadership and personnel of the security agencies for their bravery, seamless inter-agency collaboration, and dedication, which made the recovery of the victims possible.

However, the figures surrounding the Woro abduction have varied in official and public accounts.

The Kwara State Government said 176 people were abducted, of whom 13 children died in captivity, while 12 others declined to return.

Earlier reports had also put the number of people kidnapped at 176, although the Kwara State Police Command said as recently as Friday that the figure was unsubstantiated.

The victims were abducted after armed attackers invaded Woro earlier this year, killing scores of people and taking several others into the surrounding forests.

In February, assailants attacked the village, killing more than 150 people and kidnapping roughly the same number, according to reports.

Residents told reporters at the time that the attackers burnt houses, killed upwards of 165 people, and kidnapped an unknown number of residents, although local authorities gave a lower death toll.

Large parts of the village were reduced to piles of ash and rubble during the assault.

Terrorists reportedly went on a rampage after sending a letter to the village announcing their intention to preach, only for no one to show up.

In apparent retaliation, the attackers launched the deadly assault on the community.

Tinubu subsequently condemned what he described as a “beastly attack”, deploying an army battalion to the troubled region and blaming the Islamist movement Boko Haram, although the name is often used generically to describe jihadist groups operating in Nigeria.

A few months earlier, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) had claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil in the state, near Woro.

The latest rescue operation is expected to be followed by further verification of the number of victims recovered, as well as the provision of medical, psychological, and welfare support to those who spent months in captivity.