Freed Kwara Nurse Recounts Delivering 10 Babies Bare-Handed in Terrorists’ Camp

• Freed nurse reveals she delivered 10 babies with her bare hands after terrorists discovered her medical skills and turned her into the camp’s only healthcare provider.

• Captives survived months of starvation, sleeping on riverbanks in the open during heavy rains while surviving on plain guinea corn, salt, and untreated water.

• Survivor says terrorists justified the massacre by rejecting Nigeria’s democracy, claiming they were enforcing their extremist interpretation of Islam after killing her two brothers.

• Kwara Government confirms 13 children died in captivity, 12 victims remain missing, while rescued women and newborns receive treatment as authorities intensify efforts to account for every abductee.

August 08, () — A survivor of the February 3 terrorist invasion of Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State has narrated a chilling account of life inside the terrorists’ forest enclave, revealing how she delivered 10 babies with her bare hands while enduring nearly six months of hunger, exposure, and fear.

The survivor, Amirah Salihu, a registered nurse and daughter of the Village Head of Woro, spoke publicly for the first time during an interview on MEDIA TODAY’s Politics Today on Friday, offering a disturbing glimpse into the conditions endured by the 176 women and children abducted during one of Kwara State’s deadliest terrorist attacks.

Her testimony comes barely two days after the victims regained their freedom following a rescue operation that ended nearly 171 days of captivity.

Salihu’s account paints a grim picture of life in the terrorists’ camp, where pregnant women gave birth without medical care, children battled hunger, and captives slept in the open under relentless rain while armed men dictated every aspect of their existence.

‘We Lived on Salt and Corn’

According to Salihu, food was grossly inadequate throughout their captivity, with the abductees surviving almost entirely on poorly prepared guinea corn and maize.

“The kind of food they were giving us was bad. The day that we got there, they just dropped guinea corn for us with salt and Maggi. Every day after, they gave us one bag of corn without oil, pepper, or anything. There was a day they didn’t even give us Maggi again—just salt,” she recalled.

She added that although the terrorists occasionally provided kuka, a local food preparation, even that was eventually withdrawn.

“They kept us inside the river. The place where we slept was inside the river. Rain always used to fall, and whenever we made fire to keep ourselves warm, they ordered us to put it out,” she said.

She noted that fruits were only provided occasionally, while mothers struggled to protect their children from cold, rain, and exhaustion.

Delivering Babies Without Gloves

One of the most remarkable aspects of her testimony was her role as an emergency healthcare provider inside the camp.

Salihu said the terrorists asked whether any medical personnel were among the captives after several pregnant women went into labour.

Initially reluctant to reveal her identity, she eventually stepped forward to save lives.

“They asked if there was any nurse among us. I am a nurse. I started helping pregnant women during delivery. I assisted about 10 women in delivering their babies without gloves. I used my bare hands because there was nothing else available,” she said.

Working without sterile equipment, medication, or protective materials, she said she relied solely on her training and determination to prevent further loss of life.

Her efforts reportedly saved both mothers and newborns despite the extremely difficult conditions.

Salihu disclosed that after discovering her nursing skills, the terrorists attempted to prevent her from leaving when freedom eventually came.

“When they finally knew I was a nurse, they wanted me to stay with them. They said I should remain in the camp, but I refused. I told them I wanted to return home.”

Her revelation underscores the extent to which the abductors sought to exploit the professional skills of their captives while holding them against their will.

‘They Said Democracy Is Evil’

The nurse also revealed what the terrorists claimed motivated the deadly invasion of Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities.

According to her, the armed group repeatedly condemned Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, insisting that only their extremist interpretation of Islamic law should govern society.

“They always said they were doing Allah’s work. They told us democracy and the Constitution were not good. They wanted everybody to live only according to the Quran. That was why they entered our village and killed people,” she said.

She further disclosed that the terrorists murdered both her elder and younger brothers during the attack.

“They killed my senior brother and my junior brother. They said it was because of my father, because he did not allow them to enter our village.”

Salihu explained that her father had earlier resisted attempts by the terrorists to infiltrate Woro and had secured military protection for the community.

However, the attackers struck after security personnel had withdrawn.

“They suddenly came to our house. The moment I saw the way they dressed, I knew they were Boko Haram,” she said.

Asked whether the women suffered rape or sexual assault in captivity, Salihu responded that she did not witness any such incident.

Governor Receives Survivors

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq formally received the rescued victims in Ilorin on Friday, expressing sympathy to families who lost loved ones during the ordeal.

The governor commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the military high command, and all security agencies involved in the operation that secured the victims’ release.

He later visited a government hospital where 14 rescued victims—including three women who gave birth while in captivity—were receiving specialised medical treatment.

Authorities said many of the freed captives are also undergoing psychological evaluation and trauma counselling after spending nearly six months under terrorist control.

Kwara State Governor @RealAARahman has on Friday officially received the 163 kidnap victims who were recently rescued by the combined security forces in Ilorin, state capital. pic.twitter.com/sDTKRitvE5

— Kwara State Government (@followKWSG) August 7, 2026

Background

The February 3 terrorist invasion of Woro and neighbouring Nuku communities remains one of the darkest chapters in Kwara State’s recent history.

The coordinated assault left scores of residents dead, destroyed homes and public facilities, displaced hundreds of families, and saw 176 women and children abducted into the forests bordering the Kainji Lake National Park.

The tragedy sparked nationwide outrage and prompted President Bola Tinubu to order reinforced military deployments and intensified counter-terrorism operations across Kaiama and adjoining communities.

In the months that followed, families sold belongings, organised community fundraising campaigns, and reportedly raised more than ₦155 million in desperate attempts to secure the captives’ freedom after prolonged negotiations with the abductors.

Although the 176 abductees were eventually released this week, the Kwara State Government disclosed that 13 children died during captivity, while 12 victims remain unaccounted for, highlighting the devastating human cost of the attack.

The survivors’ testimonies have renewed calls for sustained military offensives against terrorist enclaves around the Kainji Lake National Park and stronger security measures to protect vulnerable rural communities from future attacks.