Nigeria says over 300 kidnapping victims rescued in major operation

President Bola Tinubu said on Wednesday that security forces rescued at least 308 people who had been abducted in separate attacks across northern Nigeria. The operation freed 163 victims taken from the Woro community in Kwara state in February and 145 individuals kidnapped mainly in Niger state. Details of the raid were not released, but officials said the people were recovered from a forest and are now receiving medical care.

Tinubu described the mission as the "largest rescue operation ever" undertaken in Nigeria on a single day and said it demonstrated "growing efficiency and collaboration among our security services." He praised the personnel involved for their bravery and commitment to protecting lives.

Kidnappings, especially of schoolchildren, remain frequent in the north, where armed groups—often referred to as bandits—carry out raids for ransom. Authorities link many of these groups to former herders who have taken up arms after disputes over resources, while a separate insurgency continues in the northeast.