The return of 146 residents abducted in Woro, Kwara State, has brought relief to their families, but 13 people are still in captivity and several survivors face the task of rebuilding their lives.
The 146 victims were reunited with their families in Woro and Kaiama on Friday after 21 days of rehabilitation in Ilorin. The Kwara State Government also distributed N80 million among the survivors, giving adults N1 million each, youths N500,000 and children N200,000.
The Chairman of Kaiama Local Council and Kwara State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Danladi, disclosed the financial support at the palace of the Emir of Kaiama.
Danladi said 146 victims had returned home, but three others were still receiving treatment in hospital.
He said the cash would help the survivors settle down and begin rebuilding their lives after the ordeal.
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“We want to specially thank Governor AbdulRazaq for the cash support. Adults received N1 million each, middle-aged youths received N500,000, while children received N200,000 each to support them to start again and settle well,” he said.
The return drew residents from Woro and Kaiama, where families and friends welcomed the survivors with dancing, drumming and embraces.
The development has also left the affected communities with unresolved security and economic needs. Residents said recovery would require more than the return of those who were rescued.
13 people still held
Mr Ahmed Ibn Ahmed, Chairman of the Intervention Committee between the government and Woro Community, said 13 people were still in captivity.
Ahmed appealed to the government to intensify action to secure their release and improve security around communities sharing boundaries with the national park.
He said criminals were taking advantage of the national park, making security around the area a pressing need.
The Woro attack occurred on 3 February, this year. More than 100 people were killed and 176 were abducted. The victims were rescued on 5 August.
Danladi urged residents to support the survivors as they recover from the trauma.
He also said security was everybody’s responsibility, asking residents, village heads and other stakeholders to work with security agencies and report strange people or movements in their communities.
The Village Head of Woro, Alhaji Umar Saliu, said the return of the 146 victims was good news to the community.
Saliu also appealed for sustained support to help survivors regain their mental strength and deal with the psychological effects of their ordeal.
He commended the state government for beginning the rebuilding of shops burnt during the attack. He said restoring the shops would help revive economic activities in the area.
The traditional leader also raised the condition of farmers who fled Woro because of repeated attacks.
“Agriculture is our mainstay. Our farmers have lost everything. The government should please support them with assistance to start again,” he said.
Power crisis adds to recovery burden
Ahmed also raised electricity supply as another unresolved issue in Woro and other communities without power.
He appealed to the government to restore electricity supply to the affected areas, alongside measures to improve security around the national park.
The needs raised by community leaders come as survivors begin using the financial assistance to rebuild livelihoods.
One of the rescued victims, Mariam Ayuba, said she would use her money to revive her salon business, which had suffered during her ordeal.
Another survivor, Amira Saliu, said she was happy to reunite with her family and friends after six months in captivity.
The Woro situation comes against a larger problem of people who are still missing across parts of the North-East.
In Yobe State, families of 1,500 missing persons have asked government agencies and humanitarian organisations to intensify work to trace their loved ones and establish their whereabouts.
The families made the appeal on Thursday in Damaturu during activities marking the 2026 International Day of the Disappeared Persons.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said more than 1,500 people were registered as missing in Yobe, out of more than 17,000 cases being tracked across Nigeria.
Sayd Rashid Hassan, Head of the ICRC Sub-Delegation in Yobe State, said the figure could represent only a fraction of the actual number of missing people.
He said more than half of those registered in Yobe were children when they disappeared from their communities.
Hassan said the ICRC was working to prevent family separation, reunite families, establish the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and protect the dignity of deceased persons.
He also called for better systems to document and identify unidentified bodies. More than 50 families in Damaturu have received support through the ICRC’s Accompaniment Programme.
Chairman of Families of the Missing Persons, Malam Ali Idriss, said families also faced emotional distress, financial difficulties and problems obtaining legal and administrative documents.
“Every missing person is a father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, friend or loved one. Every missing person matters,” he affirmed.
Idriss said families were working to establish an association that would promote mutual support, advocacy and engagement with government and humanitarian organisations.
In Adamawa State, troops of Operation Hadin Kai killed more than 21 suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists at a camp near Kopre Mountain in Hong Local Council on 27 August, 2026.
Captain Mohammed Goni, spokesman of Operation Hadin Kai, said the operation involved the Office of the National Security Adviser Tactical Team and troops of the 226 Battalion after intelligence reports indicated the presence of suspected terrorists.
Goni said troops dismantled the camp and destroyed facilities and supplies, recovering motorcycles, bicycles, jerry cans containing petrol, AK-47 rifles, magazines and 7.62mm ammunition.
He said the military operation was also intended to locate people abducted from Mussa community and Lassa school in Borno State.
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