{"id":3968,"date":"2026-08-06T14:00:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T14:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=3968"},"modified":"2026-08-06T14:00:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T14:00:04","slug":"nigerian-security-forces-free-more-than-300-hostages-abducted-by-militants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=3968","title":{"rendered":"Nigerian security forces free more than 300 hostages abducted by militants"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"9483095b-7e1b-4393-a32a-1324e5608c5a\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A man in a long dark orange robe stands among burnt debris and damaged homes after the attack in Woro. There are piles of ash and charred corrugated iron panels around him.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/62045eac3aead8107b88f33dd07b04186a7000ca\/0_0_3506_2805\/master\/3506.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372.02652595550484\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Over 160 of the freed abductees had been kidnapped in a February attack on Woro, Kwara state, pictured. <\/span> Photograph: Light Oriye Tamunotonye\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"9483095b-7e1b-4393-a32a-1324e5608c5a\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Over 160 of the freed abductees had been kidnapped in a February attack on Woro, Kwara state, pictured. <\/span> Photograph: Light Oriye Tamunotonye\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Nigerian security forces free more than 300 hostages abducted by militants<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>President hails \u2018successful\u2019 rescue as country battles endemic kidnapping for ransom and insecurity worsens<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Nigerian security forces have rescued more than 300 abducted people in what the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, hailed as the largest single-day hostage recovery in the country\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The release was announced on Wednesday after a joint operation, conducted by the military, police and counter-terrorism units, freed victims held captive in the dense forests of the Kainji Lake national park in the north-central region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Among those who regained freedom were 163 people abducted in February during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/feb\/04\/gunmen-west-nigeria-attack-red-cross\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a deadly raid<\/a> on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/feb\/05\/nigeria-sends-troops-to-villages-attacked-by-jihadist-fighters\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">village of Woro<\/a> in Kwara state, and 145 others seized primarily from the neighbouring Niger state. Both states are flanked to the west by Benin, where militant attacks have been surging in recent times. Officials confirmed the survivors are receiving medical evaluations at an army installation before being reunited with their families.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"604e24c5-2c8d-4412-a0fd-2564220c702b\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A woman in a blue shirt and brown skirt walks past debris, burnt structures and damaged shops.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/e521f74bf24e09b086f50bd8483e356603fc0b24\/0_0_4200_2805\/master\/4200.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"297.19642857142856\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"604e24c5-2c8d-4412-a0fd-2564220c702b\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">A woman walks past debris, burnt structures and damaged shops after the February attack on Woro.<\/span> Photograph: Light Oriye Tamunotonye\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cThe successful execution of this intelligence-led operation demonstrates the growing efficiency and collaboration among our security services,\u201d Tinubu said in <a href=\"https:\/\/statehouse.gov.ng\/president-tinubu-welcomes-rescue-of-308-abducted-citizens-in-kwara-niger-states-calls-for-stronger-early-warning-systems\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a statement <\/a>on the presidency\u2019s website. \u201cI commend our gallant men and women in uniform for their bravery and unwavering commitment to safeguarding Nigerian lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The government spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said the rescue operation was part of the president\u2019s resolve to \u201crestore lasting peace across every corner of the nation\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"f60749ab-d290-4049-8373-44e5a165edf2\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1oq85qr\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-6 | 6\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1rx5ky9\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-uyoh2p\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/feb\/05\/nigeria-sends-troops-to-villages-attacked-by-jihadist-fighters\" class=\"dcr-f35c0u\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-vvxpdt\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6z6e7\">\n<div class=\"dcr-zh9rih\">\u2018They killed my sons\u2019: chief of Nigerian village where jihadists massacred hundreds recounts night of terror<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-oj13vq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ef9nua\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In the last decade, kidnapping for ransom has become endemic in Africa\u2019s most populous country, especially in the north where different armed groups including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jun\/01\/nigeria-bandits-crisis-batsari-katsina-state\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">bandit gangs<\/a> and jihadists roam large unoccupied forests and shrublands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were kidnapped across 997 reported incidents, leading to at least 762 deaths, according to a report by the Lagos-based geopolitical advisory SBM Intelligence. In that 12-month period, abductors demanded \u20a648bn ($35m or \u00a326m) in payments, with families and communities ultimately handing over at least \u20a62.57bn in ransom to secure the release of their loved ones.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Ahead of January\u2019s presidential election in which Tinubu is seeking a second four-year term, the government has been ramping up reforms and rescue operations as insecurity worsens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The latest rescue was announced in the same week the army declared the governor of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/islamic-state\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Islamic State<\/a> West Africa Province, Abu Musa al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, and his deputy, Amirul Jaish Muhammad Jidda, wanted. The duo run the Islamic State-affiliated Boko Haram offshoot operating primarily around the Lake Chad basin, which straddles Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"59993430-e603-4d33-856d-0722a71b83d1\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Women hold signs with messages including Bring Back Our Kids, Bring Back Our Children, and Our Voices, Our Children, Our Future. \" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d7124a8d8ce6da03622ac7d22fe8ddf418cf405b\/0_0_6096_4064\/master\/6096.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.66666666666663\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"59993430-e603-4d33-856d-0722a71b83d1\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Teachers and students went to Lagos in June to call for the release of those abducted from a school in Oyo state. Security services freed at least 40 students and teachers in July. <\/span> Photograph: Emmanuel Adegboye\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In July, security services freed at least 40 students and teachers who had been kidnapped in May <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jun\/05\/children-how-chibok-style-school-abductions-spreading-nigeria\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">from a school in Oyo <\/a>in south-western Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Last week, the presidency <a href=\"https:\/\/statehouse.gov.ng\/president-tinubu-approves-salary-increases-for-armed-forces-personnel\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">announced a salary increase<\/a> worth 30% to 80% for thousands of soldiers, the largest hike in years for an army once seen as one of the continent\u2019s most powerful but now derided as underfunded and unequipped to handle concurrent insurgencies across Nigerian territory.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/nigeria\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Nigeria<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/boko-haram\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Boko Haram<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/islamic-state\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Islamic State<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Nigerian%20security%20forces%20free%20more%20than%20300%20hostages%20abducted%20by%20militants&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/06\/nigerian-security-forces-free-hostages-abducted-by-militants?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Faug%2F06%2Fnigerian-security-forces-free-hostages-abducted-by-militants&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=world\/2026\/aug\/06\/nigerian-security-forces-free-hostages-abducted-by-militants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 160 of the freed abductees had been kidnapped in a February attack on Woro,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3968"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3970,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3968\/revisions\/3970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}