From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
After more than two weeks of medical recovery in Ilorin, victims of the February 2026 abduction in Woro community, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, have returned home to reunite with their families.
The victims, who were rescued by a joint security operation on August 4, were on Thursday escorted from Ilorin, where they had been receiving medical attention since their release from captivity, back to their ancestral communities in Kaiama.
The return was announced in a statement by M.D. Baniya, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of Kaiama Local Government Area, Abubakar Danladi.
Baniya described the homecoming as a moment of relief and renewed hope for families who had endured months of uncertainty over the fate of their loved ones.
The statement said the council chairman personally led the delegation that escorted the victims home, alongside the Emir of Kaiama, Alhaji Omar Shehu Muazu, Bagidi Kiyaru IV, and the Kiwazi of Wojibe, Hon. Ahmed Ibn Mohammad.
“In a remarkable show of leadership and community unity, the freed Woro abductees have finally returned to Kaiama after more than two weeks of medical recovery in Ilorin,” the statement said.
It added that several of the victims were still physically weak but returned home “with dignity and honour” after receiving medical care.
According to the statement, the arrival of the victims in Kaiama was greeted with “tears of joy, prayers of gratitude, and cheers of relief” from relatives and community members who had anxiously awaited their return.
“Today, the nightmare ends. Tomorrow, healing begins. And in Kaiama, the people have shown once again that no one walks alone when community, tradition, and leadership stand as one,” it stated.
The council chairman, through Baniya, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for what he described as their swift intervention and commitment to the safety and wellbeing of the victims.
Danladi also commended the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, for his “relentless advocacy and solidarity” throughout the ordeal.
He further acknowledged the Emir of Kaiama and members of the Kaiama Emirate Council for their prayers, guidance and moral support during the difficult period.
The return of the victims marks a major step in the recovery process for the affected families and the Woro community, following months of anguish triggered by the mass abduction.
