Seven construction workers seized from a Kwara State Government road project have regained their freedom after weeks in captivity, bringing relief to anxious families and residents of the affected communities.

The victims were abducted while working on the Sabaja–Owa-Onire Road in Isin Local Government Area, a strategic rural link road intended to boost economic activities and ease movement within the area. Gunmen reportedly stormed the construction site in broad daylight, whisking away several workers and their driver and leaving the project site deserted.

In a statement issued in Ilorin, the Press Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Olajide Abolarin, announced that the workers were released following what officials described as a coordinated operation involving the state government and security agencies. He quoted the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Abdulquawy Olododo, as saying that the development was the result of sustained pressure and intelligence-led efforts.

Olododo hailed the outcome as a major boost to public safety initiatives in Kwara, commending Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for providing what he called the necessary political will and support to security operatives. He noted that two of the freed victims are engineers with the state Ministry of Works, underscoring the dangers faced by government personnel and contractors working on infrastructure projects in remote locations.

The commissioner expressed gratitude to security agencies and community members who shared information and cooperated with investigators. He also thanked the families of the abducted workers for what he described as their patience and resilience during a period of intense uncertainty.

Before their release, relatives of the victims had publicly voiced frustration over what they perceived as slow progress in the rescue effort. A family representative, Dare Boyinbogun, had revealed that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N500 million, a sum he said was far beyond the reach of the affected households. He described how the ordeal plunged the families into fear, financial strain and emotional turmoil.

Authorities have not disclosed whether any ransom was paid or if arrests have been made, but officials insist that investigations are ongoing. The state government has pledged to review security arrangements around critical infrastructure projects, particularly in rural and forested corridors that have become vulnerable to criminal attacks.