On February 3, during one of the deadliest attacks in recent years, Muslim terrorists massacred more than 160 people in the Woro and Nuku communities of Kwara state, Nigeria and abducted 163. The same month, they kidnapped another 145 victims from rural communities in Niger state.
After six months of captivity in the densely forested Kainji Lake National Park, praise God Nigerian forces rescued these 308 captives and handed them to authorities in Kwara’s capital of Ilorin for medical attention and routine checks August 7. There, many of the women were informed their husbands had died in the February attacks.
“We prayed to God to help us go back home,” said newly rescued Hauwa Saliu, whose husband was one of those murdered by Islamic jihadists in the attack on Woro. She said her kidnappers constantly pressured victims to accept jihadist teaching, but she refused.
Most of those freed were women and children. Amira Saliu, a nurse also taken captive, said she helped deliver at least ten babies with nothing but her “bare hands.”
Another captive said they went for days at a time without eating, and were forced to bury hostages who died. Whenever Nigerian military helicopters flew overhead, they were told to hide.
About 28,000 Christians and 13,000 Muslims were killed in Nigeria between October 2019 and September 2025, mostly by Fulani and other Muslim terrorists. (Hannah Davis, Decision, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, August 11)
Lord, thank You for this miraculous release, and for the brave soldiers and others who helped make it happen. Please be with them now in powerful ways, healing their bodies, minds and hearts, and comforting them with Your love. Speak tenderly to them, especially those who do not yet know You, and draw them to Yourself. Don’t let any of the terrorists get away with evil, but bring them to justice or to salvation. Give them dreams of Jesus calling them. Talk to them every moment of the day, overturning enemy plans. Get up in their face. Invade their space. Fill them with such remorse and repulsion over their evil deeds they turn to You and bring hundreds more with them from darkness to Light. Please be a Shield around every Christian in all of Nigeria, keeping them from harm. Place Your angels around them to guard them, and make those angels visible whenever Muslim extremists come against them to do evil. Fill attackers with terror at the sight of Your might and power, and bring them to their knees in repentance and faith in You. Give them courage to lay down their weapons and false religion of violence, and surrender to the One True God. May Jesus’ name be lifted high in every Muslim camp until every heart surrenders to Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Let’s continue to pray for all captives to be freed and terrorism stopped completely. Go to our Nigeria page to pray specifically for this and for President Tinubu, who has promised greater security presence in the region where these attacks occurred.
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