Hundreds of hostages, primarily children and women, who had been held captive by the extremist group Boko Haram for months or even years in northeastern Nigeria, have been rescued and handed over to the authorities, the military announced.
Nigerian Major General Ken Chigbu stated that 350 hostages were held in the Sambisa Forest, a known hideout for the extremist group that launched an insurgency in 2009. Among those rescued were 209 children, 135 women, and six men, who appeared exhausted and in worn-out clothing following their release.
Some of the girls had babies believed to have been born from forced marriages, a common occurrence for female victims who are raped or compelled to marry militants while in captivity. One of the freed women, who has seven children, said that she and other women could not escape because of their children.
“I always wanted to escape but couldn’t because of the children. If you were caught trying to escape, you would be tortured and imprisoned indefinitely,” said Hajara Umara, who was rescued along with her children.
The military stated that the hostages were rescued during a one-day operation in the Sambisa Forest, which was once a forest reserve along the borders with Cameroon and Niger but now serves as an enclave from where Boko Haram and its splinter factions launch attacks.
Photo: Illustration
