Over 400 former Boko Haram captives handed over to authorities in Nigeria
The Nigerian army handed over more than 400 women and children to local authorities on Monday, following their rescue earlier this year from Boko Haram jihadists in the northeastern state of Borno.
Since 2009, the jihadist insurgency led by Boko Haram and later its rival, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions in Africa’s most populous nation.
Mass kidnappings, often followed by ransom negotiations, remain a frequent tactic used by the Islamist groups.
The army stated on Sunday that around 360 people were freed over the weekend, not through Boko Haram’s release, but during a military operation carried out “thanks to intelligence.”
Another 82 captives had been freed “two to three weeks ago,” according to Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, bringing the total number of rescued hostages to “approximately 434.”
The victims were abducted from the village of Ngoshe, located less than 10 kilometres from the Cameroonian border in the Gwoza hills, a known Boko Haram stronghold. The area has suffered repeated attacks from the Islamist fighters.
“We thank Almighty Allah for this rescue,” said Hassana Buba, a 43-year-old freed woman at the Pulka displacement camp where the former captives were handed over. “We are very grateful and we are also celebrating this,” she added.
Authorities deny paying ransoms, though analysts say the practice is common, involving both government and families of victims.
Approximately $1.66 million in ransoms were paid between July 2024 and June 2025 to various armed groups in Nigeria, including jihadists, “bandits,” and separatists, according to a report by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based consultancy.
