Security forces rescued 315 Nigerians held by terrorists and kidnappers in coordinated operations across Kwara, Niger and Ogun states within a single 24-hour window, bringing relief to hundreds of anxious families.
The number includes 308 victims freed from terrorist captivity in forests spanning Kwara and Niger states, alongside seven students of Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade, in Ogun State, who had been abducted the previous week.
Of the 308, 163 were rescued from Kwara and 145 from Niger. Many of the victims are women and children, including a breastfeeding infant. The special operation took place in Kainji Lake National Park, freeing people who had been seized during attacks on Woro village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara and neighbouring Niger communities on February 3 and 4, 2026.
The rescued victims are undergoing screening and medical care at Wawa Cantonment in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, where the Commander of 22 Brigade is overseeing their feeding, treatment and temporary shelter ahead of evacuation. Buses have been positioned at Sobi Cantonment in Ilorin to transport the Kwara victims home, with state governments coordinating logistics for their return.
President Bola Tinubu commended the security personnel behind the operation and directed authorities to strengthen early-warning systems, boost community-level intelligence gathering and improve rapid-response capacity to prevent further mass abductions.
No Ransom Paid — Abiodun
Separately, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun announced the rescue of the seven Gateway ICT Polytechnic students abducted on July 29 in Remo North Local Government Area, insisting no ransom was paid for their freedom.
Briefing journalists at the Oke-Mosan Governor’s Office in Abeokuta, Abiodun credited a coordinated effort involving security agencies, local hunters and vigilantes. He said he personally requested aerial surveillance support from Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, who approved and deployed a police helicopter the same day.
Five of the 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 the helicopter and ground troops. One victim suffered a gunshot wound but has since been stabilised after evacuation for treatment.
Two suspects have been arrested, Abiodun said, while security agencies continue pursuing other members of the gang. He warned that kidnappers and other criminals — whether principal offenders, collaborators, informants or sponsors — would be tracked down and prosecuted, vowing that Ogun State “will never become a sanctuary for criminality.” He also credited the Tinubu administration’s security investments for supporting the state’s recent gains against crime.
Analysts Weigh In
UK-based Nigerian physician and social affairs analyst Dr Chinwike Oke-Nwosu welcomed the rescues but questioned lingering security gaps, particularly around tracking criminal communications. He asked how kidnappers could still make phone calls freely within Nigeria, and cautioned that citizens risk growing numb to insecurity as a “new normal.”
Retired Rear Admiral Dickson Olisemelogor called the rescue of the 308 victims “a welcome development,” suggesting it points to improving cooperation between affected communities and security agencies. He argued that state governments may be withdrawing political shielding of terrorist groups, and that ransom refusals are making kidnapping less profitable. Serving military personnel echoed his assessment, pointing to the value of sustained intelligence work and inter-agency coordination.
Okechukwu Nwagunma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, described the six-month operation across the Kwara-Niger forest corridor as commendable but cautioned against treating rescues as a substitute for prevention. He called for greater investment in intelligence-led policing, protection of vulnerable communities and accountability for security lapses, adding that rescued victims need sustained medical, psychological and socioeconomic support. Ultimate success, he said, should be measured not by rescue numbers alone but by a lasting drop in kidnappings nationwide.
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