Nigeria Frees 308 Abductees in Single-Day Operation, President Tinubu Calls Largest Ever Rescue

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu announced Wednesday that security forces have freed at least 308 people who were kidnapped in separate incidents across the nation’s northern region. The freed captives include 163 individuals taken from Woro community in Kaiama, Kwara state during a February abduction, alongside 145 others primarily from Niger state who were held for extended periods.

Officials characterized the coordinated rescue as an intelligence-driven operation that extracted victims from a forest location after months in captivity. The freed individuals are receiving medical care following their release, though authorities withheld specific details about how the operation was executed.

Tinubu declared the effort the “largest rescue operation ever” achieved by Nigerian security forces in a single day. The president credited enhanced coordination among different security agencies and praised uniformed personnel for their dedication to protecting citizens.

Kidnappings remain a persistent challenge throughout Nigeria, with organized criminal groups and armed militias—locally termed bandits—conducting regular abductions in northwestern and north-central regions. Analysts attribute the violence partly to resource competition between former herders and farming communities, while a separate insurgency continues in the northeastern part of the country.