The women were rescued by Nigerian troops in the ongoing operations by the military against Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents in the Sambisa Forest and on the fringes of Lake Chad.
Several women abducted by Boko Haram who regained their freedom have opened up about their ordeals while being held captive by the terrorist group.
The women were rescued by Nigerian troops in the ongoing operations by the military against Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents in the Sambisa Forest and on the fringes of Lake Chad.
The women spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after they arrived at the headquarters of Joint Task Force North East of “Operation Hadin Kai” in Maiduguri on Wednesday.
One of them identified as Suzan Lazarus was abducted in April 2021 in the Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa when the insurgents invaded Kupre, her village.
According to her, about 50 people were abducted by the insurgents on that day.
The 28-year-old woman said her abductors took them to an area known as the Timbuktu Triangle before taking them to the shores of Lake Chad.
“I give glory to God and say thank you to the military for our rescue but I am still worried about the fate of others,” Lazarus said.
Also speaking, Jummai Inuwa, who was abducted on the Maiduguri- Damaturu Road on October 10, 2020, said she was taken to the shores of Lake Chad where she was subjected to work as a slave.
Inuwa said: “Some of us tried to escape but the place is like an island surrounded by water. It was difficult to escape because it was very muddy. We seized the opportunity to escape when the military bombed the area."
In the same vein, Marta Malu, 25, said she was kidnapped on the Damboa – Askira Road in December 2021 alongside six government construction workers and a policeman.
“We were eight. They took us to Sambisa and after one week they killed the policeman,” Malu said.
Other rescued women who lauded the effort of the military include Grace Daniel, 38, who was kidnapped on the Maiduguri–Damaturu Road on December18, 2020; Maria Adamu, 27, who was kidnapped in the Madagali area of Adamawa on December 6, 2020, and Malakaiya Dambade, 37, who was kidnapped on the Maiduguri–Damaturu Road.
Speaking on the development, the Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force North East of Operation Hadin Kai, Christopher Musa, said the renewed onslaught under the ongoing “Operation Lake Chad Sanity” being conducted by Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and “Operation Desert Sanity” being conducted by the Theatre Commander has been yielding results.
Musa said, "We have synergy and together we are able to achieve a lot. We assure the public that we remain focused, dedicated and committed to our task of bringing peace to the northeast.
“Wherever the insurgents are, we will go after them. We will ensure that all those being held hostage are freed.
“We thank Mr President and Service Chiefs for the support they are giving us which has made it possible for us to be achieving successes."