Over 400 freed Boko Haram captives handed to authorities in Nigeria
The Nigerian military handed over more than 400 women and children to state authorities on Monday after they were rescued from Boko Haram captivity. The group had been kidnapped earlier this year in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.
Since 2009, the jihadist insurgency led by Boko Haram and later the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions across the region. Mass abductions followed by ransom payments remain a common tactic.
The army said on Sunday that around 360 of the captives were freed over the weekend during an intelligence-driven operation, not through a release by the jihadists. An additional 82 had been rescued two to three weeks prior, according to Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, bringing the total to approximately 434.
The victims were taken from Ngoshe, a village less than 10 kilometres from the Cameroon border in the Gwoza hills, a stronghold of Boko Haram. The area has faced repeated attacks from Islamist fighters.
“We thank Almighty Allah for this rescue,” said 43-year-old Hassana Buba, one of the freed women, speaking at the Pulka displacement camp where the former captives were handed over to local officials. “We are very grateful and we are celebrating.”
Authorities deny paying ransoms, though analysts say it is widespread, with payments made both by the government and families. An estimated $1.66 million was paid in ransoms between July 2024 and June 2025 to various armed groups in Nigeria, including jihadists, bandits, and separatists.
