One hundred and seventy-six people who had been held captive for about six months have regained their freedom in Kwara State, north-central Nigeria. They were abducted from the Woro and Nuku communities in the Kaiama Local Government Area, and their release brings to an end nearly six months of uncertainty for the victims and their families.
The victims were seized during the attack of February 3, 2026, on the two rural communities. According to accounts of the assault, suspected Boko Haram-linked gunmen swept into Woro and Nuku on motorcycles and launched a coordinated attack that reportedly lasted several hours before the attackers withdrew with scores of residents.
That raid is regarded as one of the deadliest in the recent history of Kwara State. Beyond the mass abduction, it reportedly claimed a large number of lives, left others injured, destroyed homes and businesses, and forced many residents to flee the area, deepening a sense of insecurity across the affected communities.
The Kwara State Government announced the release on Wednesday in a statement posted on its official Facebook page. It described the development as a major breakthrough and thanked President Bola Tinubu, the security forces and everyone who played a role in securing the freedom of the 176 captives.
According to the state government, the freed victims are currently at a military base, where they are being received before further steps are taken. Officials said they could not yet give the exact figures or full circumstances and that more details would be provided by the Nigerian military once available.
The government did not immediately clarify whether the victims had been rescued through a military operation, released after negotiations, or freed through some other arrangement. It said only that the release was a huge relief, particularly for the families who had spent months without news of their abducted relatives.