13 Children Died in Captivity — Survivor Recounts Ordeal of 163 Kwara Kidnap Victims

About 13 children reportedly died during the six-month captivity of residents abducted from communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, according to one of the rescued victims.

Saliu Amira, a nurse and one of the 163 victims rescued by security agencies, said the abductees endured harsh conditions, inadequate food and prolonged exposure to difficult living conditions while in captivity.

Amira disclosed that 12 other children followed their abductors during the ordeal, bringing the number of affected children to 25.

She said the victims were poorly fed and were sometimes left in extremely difficult environments.

“The kind of food that they are giving us over there… The day that we reached there, they just dropped guinea corn for us with salt and Maggi,” Amira said.

She added that some of the children died while the victims were being held in captivity.

“The children that died are almost 13, and those people that followed them are 12 in number; that’s 25,” she said.

Nicholas Rume, Commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade, said the victims were rescued through coordinated efforts by various security agencies.

Rume commended the participating agencies for their cooperation, describing the operation as an example of the synergy among Nigeria’s security forces.

Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq received the rescued victims in Ilorin, the state capital, on Friday.

The governor praised the security agencies for successfully securing the victims and said the establishment of a new army brigade would further strengthen security across the state.

Abdulrazaq disclosed that 46 of the rescued victims had been hospitalised and were receiving medical attention at a government facility.

He said the state government had directed that all the rescued victims receive appropriate medical care to support their recovery following their prolonged captivity.

The victims were among residents abducted on February 3 when armed assailants attacked Woro, Nuku and other communities in Kaiama LGA.

The attacks reportedly killed at least 75 people, displaced residents and severely affected several communities in the area.

Although the exact number of people abducted was initially unclear, reports indicated that about 170 people, including women and children, were taken hostage.

On August 5, the Kwara State Government announced the release of the victims after approximately six months in captivity.