Hundreds of hostages, mostly women and children, are rescued from Boko Haram extremists in Nigeria

Source: Associated Press

Hundreds of hostages, mostly women and children, are rescued from Boko Haram extremists in Nigeria

BY HARUNA UMAR
Updated 7:20 AM EDT, May 21, 2024

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Hundreds of hostages, mostly children and women, who were held captive for months or years by Boko Haram extremists in northeastern Nigeria have been rescued from a forest enclave and handed over to authorities, the army said.

The 350 hostages had been held in the Sambisa Forest, a hideout for the extremist group which launched an insurgency in 2009, Maj. Gen. Ken Chigbu, a senior Nigerian army officer, said late Monday while presenting them to authorities in Borno, where the forest is.

The 209 children, 135 women and six men appeared exhausted in their worn-out clothes. Some of the girls had babies believed to have been born from forced marriages, as is often the case with female victims who are either raped or forced to marry the militants while in captivity.

One of the hostages had seven children and spoke of how she and others couldn’t escape because of their children.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/nigeria-army-borno-bokoharam-hostages-1db16255ae9ed4d4abd99bf35478cf9d