Nigeria: Boko Haram frees over 400 women and children in Borno

On Sunday, June 7, a senator from Borno state and a youth organization leader announced that Boko Haram had freed over 400 individuals. The hostages had been abducted from the village of Ngoshe earlier this year.

Samaila Kaigama, head of the Borno South Youth Alliance (Bosya), stated that 416 women and children kidnapped from Ngoshe regained freedom on Saturday. Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume of Borno state verified the release, though he noted the precise details of the operation remain unknown.

Bosya, which acted as an intermediary between the abductors and the victims’ relatives, did not disclose any additional information. There was no word on whether a ransom was paid or if security forces intervened.

A region frequently targeted by attacks

Less than ten kilometers from the border with Cameroon, Ngoshe is situated in the Gwoza hills—a Boko Haram bastion that has endured repeated assaults. The insurgency launched by Boko Haram in 2009, and later by its West African offshoot ISWAP, has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities and displaced millions across northeastern Nigeria.