• Kwara Govt disburses N80m cash support
• Families seek action on 1,500 missing persons in Yobe
• Troops neutralise 21 Boko Haram, ISWAP terrorists in Adamawa

Residents of Woro and Kaiama communities in Kwara State trooped out en masse on Friday to receive the 146 victims of the Woro kidnap attack amid dancing, drumming and jubilation as they reunited with them.

Many residents embraced their relatives and friends, shedding tears of joy as they welcomed them home.

The Guardian learnt that the Kwara State government gave out N80 million cash to support the victims after rehabilitating them for 21 days.

The government gave the victims between N200,000 and N1 million each with adults receiving N1 million, youths N500,000 and children N200,000 to enable them restart life after the trauma.

The Chairman of Kaiama Local Council, who is also the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kwara State chapter, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Danladi, disclosed the gesture at the palace of the Emir of Kaiama while celebrating the return of the victims.

He described the return of the victims as a great and memorable occasion for the people.

He commended President Bola Tinubu and Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for their efforts in securing the safe return and rehabilitation of the victims.

According to him, the state government had done well by keeping the victims under rehabilitation for 21 days in Ilorin before reuniting them with their families.

He said 146 victims had been reunited with their families, while three others were still receiving treatment in hospital.

“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.

Danladi urged members of the public to support and encourage the victims, noting that they needed collective assistance to fully recover from the trauma.

He also stressed that security was everybody’s responsibility, urging residents, village heads and other stakeholders to support security agencies and promptly report strange persons or movements in their communities.

The Village Head of Woro, Alhaji Umar Saliu, described the safe return of the 146 victims as good news for the community.

Saliu also called for sustained support for the victims to regain their mental strength and overcome the psychological effects of their ordeal.

He commended the state government for commencing the rebuilding of shops burnt during the attack, saying the development would help revive economic activities in the area.

The traditional leader also appealed to the government to support farmers who had fled the community because of persistent attacks.

“Agriculture is our mainstay. Our farmers have lost everything. The government should please support them with assistance to start again,” he said.

The Chairman of the Intervention Committee between the government and Woro Community, Mr. Ahmed Ibn Ahmed, said 13 people were still in captivity, appealing to the government to intensify efforts to rescue them.

Ahmed said over N80 million in cash support had been distributed to the victims, appealing to the government to strengthen security in the area, particularly communities sharing boundaries with the national park.

According to him, criminals were taking advantage of the national park, making it necessary for the government to strengthen security around the area.

He further appealed to the government to restore electricity to Woro and other communities still without power supply.

One of the rescued victims, Mariam Ayuba, expressed delight over her freedom and thanked the governor for the financial support.

She said she would use the money to revive her salon business, which had become crippled following her ordeal.

Another victim, Amira Saliu, said she was extremely happy to reunite with her family and friends after spending six months in captivity.

“I can’t express my feelings. I am so happy that I have lost words. I thank Almighty Allah for my safety and the governor for the support.

“I will use the money wisely and plan myself. I will try to forget the experience and move on with my life,” she said.

Woro community was attacked on February 3, this year, with over 100 people killed and 176 abducted. The victims were rescued on August 5.

Meanwhile, families of the 1,500 missing persons in Yobe State have urged government agencies and humanitarian organisations to intensify efforts to trace their loved ones and establish their whereabouts.

The distraught families made the call on Thursday in Damaturu during activities to mark the 2026 International Day of the Disappeared Persons.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in Damaturu, disclosed that more than 1,500 people were registered as missing in Yobe, out of over 17,000 cases being tracked across Nigeria.

Head of the ICRC Sub-Delegation in Yobe State, Sayd Rashid Hassan, said the figures could represent only a fraction of the actual number of missing persons.

Hassan added that more than 50 per cent of those registered in the state were children when they disappeared from their communities. He 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, therefore, called for stronger systems to document and identify unidentified bodies, noting that more than 50 families in Damaturu had received support through the ICRC’s Accompaniment Programme.

Speaking for the affected families, Chairman, Families of the Missing Persons, Malam Ali Idriss, urged government institutions and other stakeholders to make it easier for families to access information and assistance.

He said the impact of disappearances went beyond uncertainty over loved ones, as families also faced emotional distress, economic difficulties and challenges in 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 said.

Idriss called for coordinated support for affected families and stronger measures to prevent disappearances, adding that families were working to establish an association to promote mutual support, advocacy and engagement with government and humanitarian organisations.

In a related development, troops of the Northeast Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have neutralised 21 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Hong Local Council of Adamawa State.The military said troops had struck a terrorist camp near Kopre Mountain in Hong Local Council of Adamawa State, killing 21 of the terrorists.

According to the spokesman of Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, the operation was carried out by the Office of the National Security Adviser Tactical Team and troops of the 226 Battalion following intelligence reports about the presence of suspected terrorists.

However, Goni’s claims could not be independently verified, and the military did not disclose whether the troops suffered any casualties during the two-hour operation.

Goni said the ground operation took place in the early hours of Wednesday, August 27, 2026, with troops engaging the fighters in two separate encounters.

“More than 21 suspected terrorists were killed, while others escaped with gunshot wounds,” he said.

He added that the troops dismantled the terrorists’ camp and destroyed their facilities and supplies, including motorcycles, bicycles and jerry cans containing petrol, while AK-47 rifles, magazines and large quantities of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered.

The military said the offensive formed part of continuing efforts to locate people abducted from Mussa community and Lassa school on May 16, 2026, in Borno State. It said victims from Mussa were abducted in May, while schoolchildren from Lassa were abducted in June 2026, adding that Operation Hadin Kai would continue efforts to locate the abducted persons and disrupt terrorist camps and supply networks.