The Nigerian army says troops of operation “Hadin Kai’” have rescued 387 hostages held in Sambisa Forest. The army says the hostages comprising men, women and children, who are mostly civilians were rescued by hybrid forces of the sector-one north-east joint taskforce operations.
The troops Led by brigadier General Diwa, also recovered several vehicles and equipment, initially seized by the terrorists from the Nigerian army at the peak of the insurgency.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division and Commander Sector 1 OPHK, Brigadier General Abubakar Haruna, addressed the troops after receiving the hostages at Awulari River side of Konduga local government area of Borno state near Sambisa Forest at the week end.
He explained that the 387 rescued persons were forced to stay in the forest by Boko Haram insurgents for over a decade, adding that the rescued ones were not members of the insurgents.
He pointed out that during the operation, many Boko Haram fighters surrendered to the Army, while others are still surrendering.
“The clearance operation, named Operation Desert Sanity III, involved troops from the 21 Special Armoured Brigade, 26 Task Force Brigade (114 Battalion), and 199 Special Forces Battalion. They Conducted over 10 days Operation, it resulted in the recapture of major Boko Haram enclaves, including Uqba, Sabilul Huda, Lawanti, Njimia, and Iraqi, all in Sambisa Forest.,” he said.
One of the rescued hostages, a wife of a Boko Haram fighter, Hajara Danjuma said her husband was one of the early converters.
“We were living in Maiduguri before he disappeared without any trace, tired of being called the wife of Boko Haram. I left for my parents’ house in Gombe but one day, my husband sent his colleagues to come and forcefully carry me to the bush. That’s how I found myself in Sambisa. I have seven children apart from the two I left in Maiduguri.
“I couldn’t run because of the children I have but when I saw the soldiers, I walked to them with my children and those of my co-wife who had died in the forest. My husband left home three days before the army came to our camp,” she said.
