Over 400 Abductees Freed from Boko Haram Captivity in Nigeria

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Agencies

7 Jun 2026 14:20

Hundreds of women and children abducted by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria have been freed, according to local officials and the military, after months in captivity.

More than 400 women and children abducted by Boko Haram militants earlier this year in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State have been released after months in captivity, according to local officials and military authorities.

The release marks one of the largest reported recoveries of abducted civilians in recent months in a region long affected by armed violence and displacement.

The captives were taken from Ngoshe, a community near the border with Cameroon, an area repeatedly targeted in attacks linked to the Boko Haram insurgency.

Local representatives said the freed civilians returned on Saturday after enduring harsh conditions during their captivity, bringing relief to families across communities in Borno State.

Hundreds of women and children return home

Samaila Kaigama, president of the Borno South Youth Alliance (BOSYA), said all 416 women and children abducted from Ngoshe had been released.

“Our group has secured the release of all the 416 women and children abducted from Ngoshe,” Kaigama told journalists.

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume also confirmed the release, though authorities did not immediately clarify the circumstances under which the captives were freed.

The return of the abductees comes after months of uncertainty for families in a region where abductions have become a recurring feature of the long-running Boko Haram conflict.

Competing accounts of the release operation

The Nigerian military stated that it conducted an “intelligence-led rescue operation” that resulted in the release of 360 people held by Boko Haram terrorists.

According to the military, the captives were kept under harsh conditions after being taken from multiple communities, particularly around the Ngoshe axis in Borno State.

Officials said the operation involved extended intelligence gathering and psychological operations aimed at weakening cohesion within armed ranks before a final phase of intervention.

Authorities did not specify whether negotiations or other forms of pressure contributed to the outcome.

Human toll of captivity in northeastern Nigeria

Daniel Bwala, a spokesperson for Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, said two infants died during captivity due to exhaustion and harsh conditions during movement through difficult terrain.

“Sadly, two infants died due to exhaustion from prolonged captivity and harsh terrain,” he said.

The deaths underscore the severe humanitarian impact of prolonged abductions, particularly on women and children caught in cycles of violence and displacement.

Communities in Borno State continue to face insecurity, disrupted livelihoods, and repeated exposure to armed attacks despite years of military operations.

Abductions amid long-running conflict in the Lake Chad region

Ngoshe lies in the Gwoza hills near the Cameroon border, a long-standing area of Boko Haram activity and cross-border instability in the Lake Chad Basin.

Abductions of civilians have remained a recurring tactic throughout the conflict, which has displaced millions across Nigeria and neighboring states.

Rural communities remain particularly vulnerable due to limited infrastructure, sparse security presence, and repeated incursions by armed groups operating across remote terrain.