Nigeria: over 400 former Boko Haram captives handed to authorities

On Monday, the Nigerian military handed over more than 400 women and children to local authorities. These individuals were freed after being kidnapped earlier this year by the jihadist group Boko Haram in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.

Since 2009, the jihadist insurgency led by Boko Haram and later its rival, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions across the country’s northeast, the most populous in Africa.

Mass abductions, often followed by ransom-driven releases, are a regular tactic employed by the Islamist militants.

The army stated on Sunday that approximately 360 people had been freed over the weekend, not through Boko Haram, but via a military operation carried out "thanks to intelligence."

Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, added on Monday that around 82 others had been freed "two to three weeks ago," bringing the total number of rescued former captives to "approximately 434."

The victims were abducted from Ngoshe village, less than 10 kilometers from the Cameroonian border in the Gwoza hills, a stronghold of Boko Haram. The locality has previously suffered repeated attacks by the Islamist fighters.

"We thank Almighty Allah for this rescue," said Hassana Buba, a 43-year-old former captive, speaking at the Pulka displacement camp where the freed individuals were handed over to local officials. "We are very grateful, and we are also celebrating."

Authorities deny paying any ransoms, although analysts maintain that it is a common practice both by the government and by victims’ families.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, approximately $1.66 million was paid in ransoms to various armed groups in Nigeria—including jihadists, bandits, and separatists—according to a report by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based consultancy.