Nigerian forces free 163 hostages after six-month jihadi captivity

Some of the 163 Nigerians rescued from jihadi captivity described severe hardship during the six months they were held. The freed hostages, most of them women and children, were transferred to authorities in Ilorin, Kwara state, on Friday for medical examinations and are expected to return to their families.

Mary Ishaya, 44, said she endured days without food and was forced to bury fellow captives who died, adding that she "still cannot find the right words to describe what has happened to us. We saw death and suffering."

The victims were abducted on Feb. 3 when militants attacked the village of Woro, killing more than 160 people. In the hospital, many appeared emaciated, some could barely stand, and several bore injuries and emotional trauma. Several women learned that their husbands were among those killed in the February assault.

Amira Saliu, a nurse among the freed, said she assisted about ten pregnant women in delivering babies in the forest, noting she had to use her bare hands.

Local residents said the attack and kidnappings were viewed as retaliation for the community’s resistance to the militants’ teachings. Hauwa Saliu, whose husband was killed, said the captors repeatedly asked if they had accepted the militants’ preachings, to which she replied no.

President Bola Tinubu called the operation the "largest rescue operation ever" undertaken in a single day and pledged to step up actions against armed gangs. The United States continues to provide logistical and intelligence support to Nigeria’s security forces.

Analysts note that Nigeria’s security challenges are compounded by under-paid and overstretched forces, prompting the government to announce pay raises and a recruitment drive. Sekinat Ojeniyi of Africa Practice said, "It is time for us to recheck how much our security apparatus does to prevent attacks, rather than simply responding to them."