Some women and children recently freed after spending months in captivity in Woro community, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, have reportedly told relatives that a helicopter delivered money to their abductors shortly before they regained their freedom. The allegation, reported by Sahara Reporters, has not been independently verified and appears to contradict the Federal Government’s insistence that the victims were rescued through a coordinated military operation without the payment of ransom.

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According to a relative who visited some of the freed victims, two members of his family expressed surprise after hearing government officials describe their release as a successful rescue operation. He claimed the victims narrated that they saw a helicopter land in the forest and deliver money to the kidnappers about four to five days before they were released. The relative alleged that the captives were prevented from going near the money. “When they heard that the government was claiming they were rescued and that no money was paid, two of my family members were shocked,” he said. “They said a helicopter came while they were in captivity and money was brought to the kidnappers. They saw it, but they were not allowed to touch the money. The kidnappers prevented them from going near it.”

The allegation comes days after the Federal Government announced the release of more than 300 abducted persons in what President Bola Tinubu described as Nigeria’s largest single-day hostage rescue operation. Among those freed were 163 victims abducted from Woro community, alongside 145 others reportedly kidnapped from neighbouring Niger State. During the attacks on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area, 176 people, mostly women and children, were initially abducted.

Authorities later confirmed the recovery of 163 victims from Woro, while survivors disclosed that 13 captives died during nearly six months in captivity. The victims reportedly endured severe hunger, inadequate medical care and harsh weather conditions in the forest, with many surviving on one meal a day before makeshift shelters were eventually constructed.

Security agencies said the victims were recovered around the Kainji Lake National Park following an intelligence-led operation involving the military, police and counter-terrorism personnel. The Presidency commended the operation as a major success and maintained that the hostages were rescued through coordinated security efforts. Following their release, the victims underwent medical examinations before reuniting with their families, with many reported to be in poor physical condition after months in captivity.

The latest claims by relatives of the freed captives have introduced a new dimension to the circumstances surrounding their release. However, neither the Federal Government nor the security agencies has officially responded to the allegations that money was allegedly delivered to the kidnappers before the victims regained their freedom.