No fewer than 416 women and children abducted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, have regained their freedom after months in captivity.
The development was confirmed on Sunday by the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, who disclosed that the captives were released on June 6.
Kaigama said the group had consistently engaged relevant stakeholders and maintained communication efforts that contributed to securing the release of the victims.
According to him, all the women and children taken from the community have now been freed, describing the outcome as a major relief for affected families and residents.
“We are pleased that our sustained advocacy, persistent appeals and prolonged engagements have yielded positive results,” he said.
He, however, urged the Federal Government, the Borno State Government and local authorities to subject the released captives to proper screening and rehabilitation programmes before their reintegration into society.
The youth leader’s organisation had previously served as a communication link between the affected community and the insurgents, particularly after videos of the abducted victims surfaced earlier this year.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, were unsuccessful as calls to his telephone line were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
The victims were abducted following a deadly attack on Ngoshe on March 4, during which insurgents reportedly overran a military formation, destroyed operational vehicles, displaced security personnel and kidnapped several residents.
The release of the captives is expected to bring relief to families who have spent months awaiting news of their loved ones.