07/06/2026
BREAKING NEWS 😞
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have freed 416 women and children abducted from the Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, three months after the mass abduction.
The captives were released on June 6, 2026, according to the Borno South Youth Alliance [BOSYA], which said it secured their freedom through sustained mediation with the insurgents.
The group was seized on March 4 when fighters overran a military base and attacked Ngoshe town, killing an unspecified number of people, burning vehicles, and taking mostly women and children hostage. The insurgents later released a video showing the captives and demanded a N5 billion ransom.
BOSYA president Samaila Kaigama said the organisation had been in communication with the group since the abduction and acted as an intermediary. “We are happy and grateful that through our efforts, our persistent cries, and long discussions, the results are now being seen,” he said.
Some victims had escaped earlier. Twelve fled in late April after military operations forced the insurgents to abandon them in Sambisa Forest, and troops of Operation Hadin Kai rescued 60 others in May along the Mandara Mountains corridor.
Kaigama called on the Federal Government, Borno State Government, and Gwoza LGA authorities to ensure proper screening and rehabilitation of the released captives. The Borno State Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, had not commented as of press time.
Ngoshe lies near the Mandara Mountains, a known insurgent stronghold. The March attack displaced thousands and triggered renewed military operations in the area.
