Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued four civilians, including two women, a teenage boy, and a male minor, who were allegedly abducted by Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and held captive for about three years in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The victims were rescued at about 6am on Friday during a search-and-rescue operation conducted by troops operating in the Lake Chad axis.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert specialising in security developments in the Lake Chad region, the operation followed credible intelligence indicating the movement of suspected terrorist escapees around Kauwa village in Kukawa LGA.
According to the report, the intelligence prompted troops to launch a search-and-rescue operation in the area, during which they located and rescued the four civilians from prolonged captivity.
‘Preliminary information obtained from the victims during their debriefing indicated that they were abducted from Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State approximately three years ago by insurgents.
‘They were subsequently taken to the Dogon Chuku terrorist camp, where they were allegedly held against their will for several years before their eventual rescue.
‘Following their rescue, the civilians were provided with food and subjected to preliminary profiling by the troops.
They were subsequently taken to the 19 Brigade Medical Centre, where they are currently receiving medical attention and undergoing further assessment.
The development forms part of ongoing search-and-rescue, clearance and counter-insurgency operations by troops of Operation Hadin Kai, in collaboration with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), across areas affected by Boko Haram and ISWAP activities in the Lake Chad Basin.
The operations are aimed at locating civilians trapped or held in terrorist enclaves, disrupting insurgent networks and denying armed groups freedom of movement in their areas of operation.
Security forces have increasingly relied on intelligence-led operations to identify the movements of terrorists and their associates, particularly around communities and locations believed to be used as transit routes or hideouts by insurgents.
The rescue comes amid sustained military operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents in Borno State and other parts of the North-East, where security forces continue to target terrorist camps, supply routes and operational networks.