Army saves 360 kidnapped people from Boko Haram camp in Borno

The Nigerian Army has announced that troops from Operation Hadin Kai have rescued 360 kidnapped people from a Boko Haram camp in the mountains of Gwoza, Borno State.

While locals and security sources mentioned that Boko Haram released the captives, the army insists they were rescued during a big intelligence-led operation.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Boko Haram had kidnapped 416 people, including children, when they attacked Ngoshe in March.

After the attack, the group released a video showing a commander boasting that they would keep control of the community during Ramadan and would hold Eid-el-Fitr prayers at Ngoshe Central Mosque.

But this threat lost its power as the troops from Operation Hadin Kai carried out operations that forced the insurgents out of the area.

By Eid al-Fitr, the troops and local worshippers were able to safely attend prayers at the same mosque, striking a symbolic blow to the group's propaganda.

Weeks after the abduction, the terrorists released a video on April 10 that showed the captives.

In another video on April 19, a Boko Haram commander named Mallam Abu issued a 72-hour ultimatum demanding a N5 billion ransom and warned against any military rescue attempt.

On May 17, the captives appeared in another video, expressing their suffering in the tough mountainous terrain and begging for help from the government.

The rescue operation

On Sunday, the acting spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Haruna Sani, said the rescue mission came after weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and planning.

He explained that the operation started after security agencies got credible intelligence about where the hostages were and who was supporting the camp.

Mr Sani said military intelligence officers combined human intelligence, signals intelligence, and surveillance operations using drones and long-range patrols to map the area, watch insurgent movements, and assess the captives' conditions.

Lieutenant Colonel Sani said they had a breakthrough when intelligence agents successfully infiltrated the terrorist network, giving detailed information about the hostages' location and the insurgents' plans.

He added that coordinated information and psychological operations caused confusion among the insurgents, weakening their command system before the attack.

Acting on this intelligence, troops launched a multi-axis operation at night, isolating the target area and blocking escape routes.

"The operation achieved complete tactical surprise, overwhelming the terrorists before an organized response could be mounted," he said.

The army spokesperson said many insurgents fled into the mountains while some surrendered as troops moved in on the camp.

After the attack, soldiers secured and evacuated the hostages, who then underwent medical checks before being taken to safe places for treatment and aid.

However, Mr Sani revealed that two infants died from exhaustion caused by the tough terrain and harsh conditions they faced during captivity.

He called the rescue one of the most important hostage recovery operations in the North-east recently and a big setback for the terrorist group.

Mr Sani said the military leadership praised the troops involved in the mission, noting that the success showed the effectiveness of intelligence-led operations and better coordination among security agencies.

He also assured the public that follow-up operations are ongoing to track down fleeing insurgents, dismantle support networks, and stop future kidnappings in the region.