Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Friday formally received 163 kidnap victims rescued by a combined team of security agencies, describing the operation as a major milestone in the fight against kidnapping and terrorism in Nigeria.

The victims, who were abducted during the February 3, 2026 terrorist attack on Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area, were handed over to the state government by the Nigerian Army in Ilorin after spending 48 hours receiving medical treatment and trauma care at various health facilities on the governor’s directive.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, AbdulRazaq congratulated President Bola Tinubu on what has been described as Nigeria’s largest single-day hostage rescue operation, praising the intelligence-led mission and the renewed synergy among the military and other security agencies.

The governor also commended the Nigerian Army and other participating security agencies for their professionalism, courage and sacrifice, saying their coordinated efforts had restored hope to families who had endured months of uncertainty.

He assured the victims of the state government’s continued support, pledging comprehensive medical care, psychosocial counselling and rehabilitation to aid their recovery and reintegration into society.

The rescue formed part of a broader operation in which 308 abductees were freed from forest hideouts across Kwara and neighbouring Niger State, including 145 victims rescued from Niger, in an operation President Tinubu hailed as the country’s biggest same-day recovery of kidnap victims.

The victims from Kwara had spent about six months in captivity after gunmen attacked Woro community, killing scores of residents and abducting hundreds during one of the deadliest attacks recorded in the state this year.

However, community leaders disclosed that 13 persons remain unaccounted for, urging security agencies to sustain search-and-rescue operations until every abductee is brought home.

They also revealed that some women gave birth while in captivity, underscoring the prolonged ordeal endured by many of the victims.

AbdulRazaq reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting security operations and strengthening collaboration with federal authorities to eliminate criminal groups threatening communities across the state.