Troops Triumph! 360 Abducted Women and Children Freed from Terrorist Stronghold in Borno
Nigerian Army troops, in conjunction with Special Operations Forces, successfully rescued 360 civilians abducted by terrorists from Ngoshe in Borno State. The complex operation in the Mandara Mountains freed women and children who had been held captive since March 2026, though some young individuals remain in custody. This significant recovery highlights ongoing efforts against insurgency and the challenges faced by affected communities.
The Nigerian Army troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), in a meticulously coordinated effort with Special Operations Forces, successfully rescued 360 civilians, predominantly women and children, who had been abducted by terrorists from the Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. This significant hostage recovery operation, described as one of the most impactful in the North East theatre recently, took place on June 6 following a special operation across multiple fronts around the heavily fortified Mandara Mountains.
The rescued individuals were among a larger group of over 400 people abducted during a devastating terrorist attack on Ngoshe community on March 3, 2026, as reported in initial accounts. The abduction, carried out by Boko Haram insurgents, including a faction identified as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), saw residents marched into the rugged terrains of the Mandara Mountains. In April, the JAS faction, led by Abu Ummaimatul Muhajjir, reportedly released a video of some captives and demanded a N50 billion ransom for the release of women and children, threatening execution or dispersal if demands were not met.
Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, Theatre Commander of the North East Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, and Lt-Col Haruna Sani, acting spokesman for OPHK, detailed the rescue mission. The operation followed weeks of intensive intelligence gathering, covert reconnaissance, and detailed planning. Credible intelligence, integrating Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations, pinpointed the hostages' location and the insurgent support network. Special Operations Forces conducted preliminary missions to create confusion, allowing ground troops of the 26 Task Force Brigade to extract the captives. The multi-axis operation, launched under cover of darkness and supported by real-time ISR feeds, achieved complete tactical surprise, overwhelming the terrorists. Many insurgents fled or surrendered when faced with the advancing troops' speed and precision.
However, an alternative account emerged from some freed victims, who told Daily Trust that they were gathered by insurgents on Saturday night and given the option to leave or stay. They then walked through the mountainous terrain to a point where they were picked up by the military. This suggests a potential mediatory role or negotiation leading to their release from the insurgents' immediate custody. The Borno South Youth Alliance (BOSYA), led by Samaila Kaigama, confirmed the release and asserted its mediatory role, claiming to have secured the release of