416 Borno Women, Children Regain Freedom After Months in Boko Haram Captivity

A total of 416 women and children abducted from Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State have regained their freedom after spending months in captivity.

The development was confirmed on Sunday by the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance (BOSYA), Samaila Kaigama, who disclosed that the victims were released by suspected Boko Haram terrorists on June 6.

According to Kaigama, the alliance played a significant role in facilitating communication and engagement that contributed to the release of the captives.

“BOSYA has secured the release of all the Ngoshe 416 women and children. They were released on the 6th of June,” he said.

He expressed gratitude over the successful release, noting that months of advocacy, discussions and persistent efforts by stakeholders had finally yielded positive results.

“We are happy and grateful that through our efforts, our persistent cries and long discussions, the results are now being seen,” Kaigama added.

The victims were among residents abducted during attacks on Ngoshe, a border community in Borno South that has experienced repeated assaults by insurgents over the years.

Earlier reports indicated that BOSYA had served as an intermediary between the affected families and the insurgents. In April, the group revealed that it had established communication channels after videos and images showing the abducted women and children surfaced.

Following the release, Kaigama called on the Federal Government, the Borno State Government and relevant local authorities to ensure that the freed captives undergo proper screening, medical evaluation and rehabilitation before being reunited with their families and communities.

He stressed the importance of providing psychological support and reintegration programmes to help the victims recover from the trauma of captivity.

The release has brought relief to families and residents of Ngoshe, many of whom had spent months awaiting news about the fate of their loved ones.

As of the time of filing this report, Borno State authorities had not issued an official statement on the development. Efforts to reach the state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, were unsuccessful.