At least six children have died from starvation and illness while in captivity, some of the 360 abductees recently freed from a terrorist enclave in Borno State have revealed, recounting a harrowing ordeal marked by hunger, deprivation and restricted movement in the Mandara Mountains.
The abductees, who were reunited with their families on Monday in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area, were among 416 residents abducted during a March 4 attack on the community. Their release followed a military operation conducted by troops under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), which said the rescue was achieved after weeks of intelligence gathering, covert reconnaissance and coordinated planning.
In a statement, Haruna Sani, Acting Media Information Officer of OPHK, confirmed the operation, stating that the rescued civilians were recovered from a Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) enclave.
The Borno State Government also confirmed the development, adding that no ransom was paid to secure the release of the captives.
According to counter-insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama, the convoy conveying the freed abductees arrived at a temporary camp in Ngoshe at about 1:20pm on Sunday, where they were received amid emotional scenes of jubilation by family members, community leaders and residents.
Speaking to reporters shortly after their return, survivors described severe starvation and harsh living conditions in captivity.
Halima Musa, one of the freed abductees, said the children died after falling ill while in detention.
“While in captivity, we lost six children, two boys and four girls. They died after falling sick,” she said.
“We ate only guinea corn once a day. If you ate around 2pm, you would have to wait until the next day before eating again. Sometimes, there was no soup. We cooked the food ourselves; they only provided what we were to cook.”
Another freed captive, who requested anonymity, said the abductees were occasionally dependent on food supplies distributed within the terrorist network.
“I noticed that some people brought food supplies. They would drop some there and take the rest to other terrorist locations. From the way the food was being distributed, I suspected they might have farms somewhere,” the survivor said.
Military authorities said the rescue operation was the result of sustained intelligence work and coordinated field operations targeting terrorist enclaves in the Mandara Mountains.
Commander of the 26 Task Force Brigade, Nura Abdullahi, who addressed residents after the rescue, reaffirmed the military’s commitment to restoring peace in the North-East.
“The military remains unwavering in its commitment to the security of the people and will continue to pursue its mandate until lasting peace and stability are restored across the region,” he said.
He urged residents to support ongoing security efforts by providing credible intelligence to security agencies.
Community leader Sulaiman Bello, speaking on behalf of Ngoshe residents, welcomed the freed abductees and praised the military for the rescue operation.
He expressed gratitude to security agencies for ensuring their safe return and reaffirmed community commitment to supporting ongoing stabilisation efforts.
The military later held a meeting with community stakeholders and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), where officials emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in maintaining peace and preventing further attacks in the region.
Boluwatife Enome
Follow us on:
