Nigerian governor details victims' health after government rescues hundreds from jihadi kidnappings

August 8, 2026 - 18:36

The governor of Nigeria's Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has provided new details on the condition of the hundreds of women and children freed from jihadi captivity. Nigerian security forces recently located and rescued the group after they had spent roughly six months in the hands of their abductors. The governor stated that medical teams are still working through a full assessment of the victims, many of whom are showing signs of severe physical and psychological strain.

According to AbdulRazaq, the rescue operation was complex and involved coordinated efforts across multiple state lines. The victims, who were taken during a series of violent raids on remote villages, were discovered in makeshift camps deep in a forested area. While the governor expressed relief that the rescue was successful, he emphasized that the recovery process is just beginning. He noted that many of the children are severely malnourished and that some of the women were subjected to forced labor and other abuses during their ordeal.

Officials are now working to reunite the victims with their families, though the governor admitted that identifying all of them will take time. He also called for continued support from federal agencies to ensure the area remains secure and to prevent similar incidents in the future. The government has not released an exact count of those rescued, but sources indicate the number is in the hundreds.