A total of 308 kidnap victims have been freed in Nigeria in a coordinated security operation, the authorities have announced. The group comprised 163 people abducted from the Wuru community in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, along with 145 others who had been seized in neighbouring Niger State.
The captives were rescued from the forest of the Kainji Lake National Park, in an intelligence-driven operation that involved the National Counterterrorism Centre.
President Bola Tinubu commended the security agencies for their bravery and interagency collaboration, saying the operation reflected the growing efficiency of the country's security services.
The freed citizens are currently receiving first aid and medical care at the medical facility in Wawa Cantonment. From there, they are to be handed over to their respective state governments for further care and reunification with their families.
While welcoming their release, the president stressed the need to strengthen Nigeria's national security infrastructure in order to prevent further abductions of this kind.
To that end, he directed the security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to immediately improve early-warning mechanisms, community-level intelligence gathering and rapid-response capabilities across the country.