More than 300 people abducted in separate attacks in Nigeria have been rescued, the country's presidency says, in what it claims is its largest single‑day operation by joint security forces.
The freed victims were recovered from the Kainji Lake National Park in Niger State during an operation that involved the military, police, an intelligence unit and the National Counter‑Terrorism Centre.
A total of 163 people were liberated from the February attack on the Woro community in Kwara State, where several scores were killed. In addition, 145 hostages were taken from Niger State and subsequently released.
It is not yet clear whether any suspects were detained in the operation.
The rescued individuals received medical care at a military site before being reunited with their families.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu warmly welcomes the successful rescue of 308 Nigerian citizens who were abducted in different attacks in Niger and Kwara states,” presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said, adding that the event signified the highest level of coordination between security agencies.
The jihadists behind the attacks demanded that residents of Woro abandon the national constitution and follow their doctrine, attempting to impose an alternate system of governance in the area.
Human rights organisation Amnesty International reported that many of the deceased were found with limbs bound and some had suffered throat slits or firearms injuries.
The Nigerian government has attributed the attacks to Boko Haram, a claim that the group has not addressed.
The rescue follows the release of 44 pupils and teachers who were held for more than 50 days after a school attack in Oyo State, following a month‑long security operation.
These successive abductions across north‑central and southern regions alarm officials, underscoring an expanding security crisis beyond routinely affected zones in Nigeria.
