Nigeria announces rescue of 308 kidnapped citizens

What the report says

Nigerian authorities said on August 5, 2026, that security agencies rescued 308 people who had been kidnapped in separate attacks in Niger and Kwara states. According to a statement from presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga, the operation was carried out by the National Counter Terrorism Centre with support from the armed forces, police and the Department of State Services. Officials said 163 of those freed were taken from Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, while 145 were abducted in Niger State.

The government said the victims were found in the Kainji Lake National Park forest area after what it described as a coordinated, intelligence-led mission. It said the rescue was the largest single-day operation of its kind by Nigeria’s joint security team. Kwara state authorities also publicly welcomed the release of people abducted in a February attack on local communities in Kaiama.

Al Jazeera noted that kidnapping for ransom has become a major security crisis in Nigeria, especially in rural areas where state presence is limited. The report said schools, churches and mosques have repeatedly been targeted by armed groups and bandits. The latest rescue comes amid mounting pressure on President Bola Tinubu over a surge in mass abductions this year, and it follows other recent security operations that freed hostages in different parts of the country.