MIRACLE IN THE FOREST: Rescued Kwara Nurse Recounts Delivering 10 Babies Bare-Handed During Six-Month Captivity

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 Ayekooto Media
  


ILORIN, KWARA STATE — In a harrowing yet deeply inspiring tale of human resilience, Amirah Salihu, a nurse abducted by terrorists alongside over 170 others in Kwara State, has shared the chilling details of her six-month ordeal, revealing how she successfully delivered 10 babies bare-handed without any medical equipment while in captivity. 

Amirah was among the 176 women and children violently kidnapped on February 3, 2026, when heavily armed terrorists invaded the Woro and Nuku communities in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. After nearly 180 days in the terrifying grip of her captors, she and 162 others finally regained their freedom on Wednesday following a coordinated rescue operation by Nigerian security forces.

Surviving the Wilderness: Hunger and Rainfall
Speaking in an emotional interview on Channels Television’s 'Politics Today' on Friday, Salihu, who is also the daughter of the Chief of Woro community, detailed the inhumane conditions the hostages were subjected to. 

“The kind of food they gave us was bad," Amirah recounted. "On the day we arrived, they just dropped guinea corn with salt and Maggi. Every day after that, they gave us a bag of corn without oil or pepper. Some days, they didn't even give us Maggi, just salt.”

The physical exposure was equally brutal. The captors forced the hostages, including children and pregnant women, to sleep in the open air, sometimes inside shallow riverbeds, regardless of heavy rainfall. “Rain would fall on us. If we tried to set a fire to keep warm, they ordered us to put it out,” she lamented.

The Bare-Handed Deliveries
Initially, to protect herself, Amirah hid her professional identity. When the terrorists inquired if there was a medical worker among the captives, she denied being a nurse, fearing they would permanently enslave her as their camp medic. 

However, her humanity overpowered her fear when several kidnapped pregnant women went into labor in the harsh forest environment. 

“They asked if there was a nurse. I said no, but I told them I used to help pregnant women deliver. I helped about 10 women deliver their babies right there. I did it without gloves; I used my bare hands to help them,” she revealed. 

When the terrorists eventually discovered her actual nursing qualifications, they attempted to force her to stay behind upon the group's release. Amirah bravely refused, insisting on returning home. 

A Tragic Motivation: Anti-Democracy and Murder
Shedding light on the motives of the attackers, the brave nurse stated that the terrorists operated under the guise of religious extremism, openly rejecting Nigeria’s democratic constitution. 

“They said they were doing Allah’s work. They claimed that our constitution and democracy are not good, and that they want us to be governed strictly by the Quran. That was their justification for invading our village and killing people,” she explained.

Tragically, the attack claimed the lives of Amirah’s two brothers (an older and a younger sibling). The terrorists callously informed her that they murdered her brothers because her father—the community chief—had previously resisted their entry by inviting soldiers to guard the village. 

Despite the sheer brutality of their captors, Amirah confirmed that, thankfully, no female captive was subjected to rape or sexual assault during the six months.

The Aftermath: 13 Children Lost
While the successful rescue of 163 victims is a massive relief, the tragedy left a permanent scar. According to the Kwara State Government, 13 innocent children died due to the harsh conditions during the captivity, and 12 victims are still unaccounted for. 

Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, received the rescued hostages at a medical facility in Ilorin on Friday. The visibly malnourished victims were given comprehensive medical care. The Governor expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian military for the successful rescue operation, while heavily commiserating with the families who lost their loved ones in the forest.


David Alani Ige (The Scribe)
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Ayekooto Media*
Chronicling our heritage; architecting our future.
 

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David Alani Ige (The Scribe)

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Ayekooto Media

David Alani Ige is a seasoned journalist, strategic analyst, and the visionary publisher of Ayekooto Media. With a relentless commitment to archiving Nigeria's political realities and delivering the unvarnished truth, he has built a formidable platform for deep-dive reportage and editorial excellence. He is widely known by his readers and peers as "The Scribe".

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