At least 13 children reportedly died during the six months they spent in captivity after being abducted from communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, one of the rescued victims has disclosed.

Saliu Amira, a nurse and one of the 163 victims rescued by security agencies, recounted the harsh conditions the victims allegedly endured while in the custody of their abductors.

Amira said the captives were poorly fed and subjected to difficult living conditions throughout their ordeal.

“The kind of food that they are giving us over there… The day that we reached there, they just dropped guinea corn for us with salt and Maggi,” she said.

According to her, some of the children died during the period of captivity, while others allegedly followed their abductors.

“They left us inside the river; the children that died are almost 13, and those people that followed them are 12 in number; that’s 25,” Amira said.

The victims were rescued through a joint operation involving various security agencies.

Nicholas Rume, commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade, expressed satisfaction over the successful rescue operation and commended the various security agencies involved.

“Today I am happy to introduce to you the people whom, through the combined efforts of the security agencies, we have been able to rescue,” he said.

He also acknowledged the contributions of other security agencies to the operation, describing the rescue as an example of the synergy among security agencies in the country.

The rescued victims were received in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Friday by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

Abdulrazaq commended the security agencies for the operation and said the establishment of a new Army brigade would further strengthen security in the state.

The governor disclosed that 46 of the rescued victims had been hospitalised and were receiving medical attention at a government health facility.

“I have since directed that the appropriate medical attention be extended to everyone to ensure their well-being. Prior to this time, our government has extended various forms of support to the rural community,” he said.

The victims were among residents abducted on February 3, when armed assailants attacked Woro, Nuku and other communities in Kaiama Local Government Area.

The attacks reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 75 people and displaced several residents, leaving communities in the area severely affected.

Although the exact number of people abducted during the attacks was initially unclear, reports put the figure at about 170, including women and children.

The latest rescue of 163 victims brings renewed attention to the scale of the humanitarian impact of the attacks and the prolonged ordeal suffered by residents of the affected communities.