Nigeria Frees 360 Boko Haram Captives as Army, Local Mediators Dispute Credit
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 7
Nigeria Frees 360 Boko Haram Captives as Army, Local Mediators Dispute Credit
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 7
Summary
At least 360 people abducted in March from the Ngoshe area of Borno state were freed from a Boko Haram hideout in the Mandara mountains, with some local accounts putting the total at 416.
The Nigerian army said weeks of intelligence-led planning culminated in a night assault that forced militants to flee or surrender, while the Borno South Youth Initiative said it secured an unconditional release through direct mediation.
Two infants died from exhaustion after the captives were recovered, and authorities said survivors are receiving medical care while security forces work to stabilize the area and trace others believed to have crossed into Cameroon.
The release comes as Nigeria faces mounting criticism over insecurity and recurring mass kidnappings, a tactic long fueled by ransom payments despite a legal ban.
Boko Haram no longer holds the vast territory it once did after launching its insurgency in 2009, but the group and splinters remain active across the northeast.