Woro Abductees: Some Victims Died, Buried In Captivity – Kwara Lawmaker

An unspecified number of the 176 abducted residents of the Woro community in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State were said to have died while in captivity.

The lawmaker representing the Gwanabe/Gweria/Bani/Adena Constituency of Kaiama Local Government in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Saidu Baba-Ahmed, disclosed this during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service yesterday.

Baba- Ahmed said the report they received from the rescued victims indicated that some victims died at the kidnappers’ den and were buried by the abductors themselves.

He said that the number of rescued kidnap victims is not up to the number of 176 people abducted, adding that about 25 of the kidnapped are still missing.

Baba-Ahmed said that those rescued arrived in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, late on Thursday and were receiving medical attention.

He said the state government is taking care of them to assess their health before reuniting them with their families.

The lawmaker commended the state and federal governments for their efforts to ensure that the abductees return home safely.

On Thursday, the national chairman of Kaiama Development Association, Yakubu Salihu, claimed that only 163 of the 176 Woro kidnap victims were released on Wednesday.

According to him, “176 were taken away; only 163 were released, thus short by 13 people,” and he asked, “Where are the others?”

Salihu added that some pregnant women actually delivered babies while in captivity.

The victims were kidnapped when armed bandits invaded the community on 3 February 2026, killing scores of residents and razing residential buildings.

Following sustained military operations and coordinated efforts by security agencies, the victims regained their freedom and were transported from Niger State to Ilorin late Thursday night.

Kwara Governor Receives Rescued Victims, Thanks Tinubu

Meanwhile, the Kwara state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, yesterday received the rescued Woro kidnapped victims in Ilorin, the state capital.

AbdulRazaq received the victims, who are mostly kids and women, from the 22 Armoured Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Nicholas Rume.

He said that the 3 February 2026 mass abduction of Woro residents in the Kaiama local government area was not only sad but regrettable.

The governor added, “It is regrettable that the Woro incident happened at all. We are grateful to God that our collective effort has paid off. Everyone has been rescued alive.

“I have since directed that appropriate medical attention be extended to everyone to ensure their well-being. Prior to this time, we have extended various forms of support to the Woro community through the committee to aid their rebuilding efforts.

“On behalf of the people and government of Kwara state, I extend our profound gratitude to the president. We are truly grateful that the President has paid special attention to the state, and each time I went to him, he responded swiftly. “I kept on mounting pressure on the president to make sure that the state was safe. The 9 Division of the Nigerian Army has been established in the state. Not just the 9 Division of the Nigerian Army; 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi, is moving to Bode-Saadu. Aside from that, we have five Battalions in Kaiama, Patigi, Kosubosu, Omu-Aran and Ilemona.’’

Also speaking, the Emir of Kaiama, Alh  Muazu Umar, regretted the dastardly massacre of some of the community members during the February attacks.

Umar added that “throughout the six months and four days, we have been in turmoil. We thank God we are able to get here. Though we lost some people in the process. Our appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his support. The people who are still with them, we pray one day they will be rescued.”

In his remarks, General Rume said, “It was a sad event, but today( Friday ) I am happy to introduce to you the people through the combined effort of the security agencies we have been able to rescue.

“Again, I thank the other security agencies who have been helpful in the effort that we have been making. This event exemplifies the synergy within security agencies in the country. I want to say that as we continue to fight insurgency and banditry in the state, we thank the governor for his support, direction, and all logistics, and we commit ourselves to ensuring that our efforts do not wane.

“ You will agree with me that this year there has been a reduction in the incidents we have been recording in the state. I pray that we will win the battle against our enemies.”