A member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Saidu Baba-Ahmed, has disclosed that 25 children abducted from Kwara, Kebbi, Niger states died while in terrorist captivity.

Baba-Ahmed, who represents Gwanabe/Gweria/Bani/Adena constituency in Kaiama Local Government Area, made the disclosure while speaking about the condition of victims recently rescued after spending about six months in captivity.

He said the victims were among 336 people abducted across the three states, adding that some of the children died while being held in the forest, while others reportedly died during transit. Their bodies were subsequently buried in the forest, according to the lawmaker.

The lawmaker also disclosed that 12 youths who were abducted chose to remain with the terrorists after volunteering to join their ranks, meaning they were not among those released.

According to him, 176 people were abducted from Kwara State, with 163 regaining their freedom, while 15 victims from the state remain missing.

The disclosure comes after the rescue of hundreds of abducted Nigerians from forests in Kwara, Niger states. The operation, which freed more than 300 victims, was described by President Bola Tinubu as the country's largest single-day rescue operation.