No fewer than 315 Nigerians held by terrorists and kidnappers have been rescued in separate operations in Kwara, Niger and Ogun states within 24 hours, offering relief to hundreds of families.
The figure includes 308 people freed from terrorist captivity in the forests of Kwara and Niger states and seven students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, in Ogun State.
The 308 victims, 163 from Kwara and 145 from Niger, many of them women and children, including a breastfeeding infant, were rescued during a special operation in Kainji Lake National Park. They had been abducted during attacks on Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State and neighbouring communities in Niger on February 3 and 4, 2026.
The victims are undergoing screening and medical care at Wawa Cantonment in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. The Commander of 22 Brigade is overseeing their feeding, treatment and temporary accommodation ahead of their return home. Buses have been positioned at Sobi Cantonment in Ilorin for the Kwara victims, while the respective state governments are coordinating the movements.
President Bola Tinubu welcomed the rescues, commended the security personnel involved and directed relevant authorities to strengthen early-warning systems, improve community-level intelligence gathering and enhance rapid-response capabilities to prevent further mass abductions.
In a related development, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the successful rescue of the seven polytechnic students abducted on July 29. He said no ransom was paid. Five students were freed in the first phase of the operation and reunited with their families after medical attention. The remaining two were rescued in a follow-up operation involving a police helicopter and ground forces. One victim sustained a gunshot wound but has been stabilised.
Two suspects have been arrested, and security agencies are still pursuing other members of the gang. Governor Abiodun credited coordinated efforts by security agencies, local hunters, vigilantes and other stakeholders. He noted that he had requested aerial surveillance from Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, who approved and deployed a police helicopter the same day.
The governor vowed that Ogun State would not become a sanctuary for criminals and praised President Tinubu for prioritising security and strengthening the operational capacity of security agencies.
Security and civil society figures described the rescues as positive but stressed the need for stronger prevention. UK-based Nigerian doctor and analyst Dr Chinwike Oke-Nwosu questioned how terrorists could continue to use phones freely within the country and warned against treating mass abductions as normal.
Retired Rear Admiral Dickson Olisemelogor said the operation showed growing community cooperation with security forces and a reduced willingness by governments to pay ransoms.
Okechukwu Nwagunma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, called for greater investment in intelligence-led policing, inter-agency coordination and support for victims, adding that success should ultimately be measured by a sustained drop in kidnappings.
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