Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued six women and children abducted by suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents in Ngoshe village, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The development was confirmed in a statement on Friday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East, Lt. Col. Sani Uba.
According to the statement, the victims were freed during a coordinated military operation backed by sustained offensives, including air interdiction strikes on terrorist enclaves in the Mandara Mountains.
Uba disclosed that troops, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted the victims in the early hours of May 1, 2026, around Amuda, a deserted corridor between Ngoshe and Gava known for insurgent activities.
The rescued persons were identified as Zainab Idris (18), Fatima Abubakar (17), Maimuna Abdulrashid (24), Muhammad Idris (1), Sadiq Abdullahi (7), and Fatima Abdulrashid (5).
Preliminary findings indicated that the victims were abducted during an attack on Ngoshe community on March 3, 2026, and had been held in a terrorist camp before escaping captivity.
The military noted that troops encountered resistance as fleeing insurgents opened sporadic fire while attempting to recapture the escapees, but were successfully repelled after a brief exchange.
It added that intensified pressure on terrorist groups in the region has continued to weaken their operations, forcing disarray within their ranks and creating opportunities for captives to escape.
The victims were said to have received immediate medical attention before being handed over to community leaders for reunification with their families.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing operations aimed at rescuing abducted persons and dismantling terrorist networks across the North-East.