The seven construction workers abducted from a Kwara State Government road project have regained their freedom after spending weeks in captivity.
The workers were kidnapped on December 15, 2025, while working on the Sabaja–Owa-Onire Road in Isin Local Government Area, an incident that triggered anxiety among residents and the victims’ families.
Confirming their release in a statement issued on Monday in Ilorin, the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Olajide Abolarin, said the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Abdulquawy Olododo, disclosed that the workers were freed through coordinated efforts by the state government and security agencies.
Olododo described the development as a boost to ongoing security efforts in the state and commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for what he described as strong political will in tackling insecurity.
He revealed that two of the abducted workers were engineers with the Kwara State Ministry of Works, noting that the incident highlighted the dangers faced by personnel engaged in public infrastructure projects.
“We are grateful to His Excellency and the security agencies, and we appreciate everyone who stood by us during this difficult period,” the commissioner was quoted as saying.
The abduction had earlier attracted public attention after the families of the victims accused authorities of slow rescue efforts and alleged that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N500m.
The PUNCH had reported that the families’ spokesperson, Dare Boyinbogun, said on December 29, 2025, that gunmen invaded the construction site around 11:40am and whisked away several workers and their driver.
Boyinbogun lamented that the victims were ordinary workers contributing to the state’s development, adding that their families were thrown into fear, hunger and emotional distress during the period of captivity.
The families had appealed to the state government and security agencies to intensify rescue efforts, a call that has now been met with relief following the safe return of the abducted workers.