Nigerian Forces Free Over 360 Captives from Boko Haram Hideout
At least 360 people abducted in March from a community near the Cameroon border were released from a remote mountain site in Borno state. Officials and a local youth group offered differing accounts of how the release occurred.
news.sky.comAt least 360 people taken by Boko Haram in March from a mainly Muslim community in northeastern Nigeria's Borno state have been freed from a mountain hideout. The group includes many women and children. Officials said the captives received medical screenings after their release and spent the night gathered under trees.
Officials described an intelligence-led military operation that surprised the militants and prompted several to flee or surrender. A local youth group said it mediated an unconditional release and placed the total at 416 people. Mass abductions for ransom have become common across Nigeria in recent years.
Boko Haram previously kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014, with around 90 still missing.
Haram began its campaign to impose Islamic rule in northern Nigeria in 2009. The group no longer controls large territories but remains active alongside other armed factions. Two infants died from exhaustion after prolonged captivity and harsh terrain, a special adviser to President Bola Tinubu posted on X.
Officials said the remaining freed captives are receiving medical care. Videos released by officials showed the freed captives sitting under trees. A local government official said efforts were underway to secure the area and return those who may have reached Cameroon.
