Rescued After Over a Year: Women Abducted by Niger Terrorists Return, Some With Babies and Trauma
More than a year after their abduction by terrorists in Niger State, a group of women some now pregnant or nursing infants have regained their freedom, authorities confirmed this week.
The victims, taken in February 2024 while returning from Pandogari market in Rafi and Shiroro LGAs, were reportedly rescued by security operatives who intercepted commercial buses around the Kagara area.
The abductors, members of the Sadiku-led terror group, were allegedly attempting to relocate the women from Palu-Waya in Shiroro, possibly toward Kebbi State or the Kainji Forest in Borgu.
Local sources confirmed that four of the rescued victims were among 25 women kidnapped along the Pandogari–Allawa road. Their return completes the list of those abducted during the February 14 incident, which left six people dead.
“We welcome this rescue, but it is heartbreaking to see some of the women pregnant or with babies clear signs of the forced marriages they endured in captivity,” a resident of Allawa told Daily Trust.
The psychological toll is also significant. Family members revealed that some of the women appeared emotionally unstable, with a few expressing affection for their captors and reluctance to return home.
“One of them insisted she had fallen in love with her captor and memorized his phone number,” said a relative, noting the urgent need for psychological care and deradicalization.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed the rescue of 35 women and children during coordinated operations between July 3 and 5. SP Wasiu Abiodun, spokesperson for the Command, stated that victims were being transported by a driver identified as Yusuf Abdullahi from Birnin-Gwari, who was apprehended en route to Yauri, Kebbi State.
“The victims were rescued, given medical care, and are being reunited with their families,” said Abiodun, adding that further investigations are underway to trace other victims and dismantle the terror network.
In a related development, another group comprising five women and six children was intercepted while attempting to cross the river into Kebbi. Weapons and ammunition were recovered during the operation.
While the rescue brings relief to families, many of the women remain in police custody amid ongoing evaluations. Local leaders and human rights advocates are calling for urgent mental health support and long-term reintegration programs.
The Sadiku-led gang has long operated from the Allawa forest, terrorizing surrounding communities for over five years. During their reign, villages have been repeatedly raided, with lives lost and hundreds displaced.
