June 8, 2026

The African Tribune

Bold, independent reporting on Africa's most important stories, in English, every day.

Hundreds of Boko Haram captives freed in Nigeria’s Borno state

In this photo released by Nigerian Army, freed women and children that were abducted by Boko Haram in southern Borno, Nigeria. Saturday, June 6, 2026. (Nigerian Army via AP)

The Nigerian army confirmed on Sunday, June 7, the release of several hundred individuals who were abducted months earlier by a Boko Haram faction in the town of Ngoshe, located in Borno state in northeastern Nigeria. A video released by the military shows frightened women and children being transported in vans and pickup trucks during the night, then gathered under trees on the ground, surrounded by soldiers. The exact number of freed captives remains unclear, with estimates ranging from 360 to nearly 420 people.