Nigerian forces have rescued at least 308 hostages held by militants in Kwara State, marking what officials are calling the largest rescue operation in the country's history.
The victims were held for six months and were rescued over the past week. The majority of them came from two distinct groups, with 163 being taken from the Woro community in a February raid that saw their kidnappers kill an additional 160 people in the village.
According to reports, the hostages believed they had been taken as punishment for refusing to accept the religious preachings of the jihadis. One woman, Hauwa Saliu, told journalists that her captors constantly asked them if they had accepted jihad yet.
The conditions under which the women and children were being held were described by another victim, Amira Saliu, who explained that they were kept in a forest near a river, forced to put out fires and hide when they heard helicopters nearby. She also recounted having to help 10 women give birth without medical equipment or sanitary gloves.
The governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, said that 46 victims are being treated at a hospital and that the situation is still being assessed. He described it as "a very sad situation" and expressed shame that it had happened.
The rescue operation highlights ongoing tensions between Nigeria's militant Islamic insurgency in the north and the country's large Christian population, who make up roughly 45% of Nigeria's citizens.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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