Nigerian Army rescues 360 hostages from Boko Haram stronghold in Borno

The Nigerian Army says its troops have rescued 360 kidnapped victims from a Boko Haram stronghold in the Mandara Mountains area of southern Borno State.

The military disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, June 7, through the official X handle of Operation HADIN KAI, the Joint Task Force leading counterinsurgency operations in Nigeria’s North-East.

According to the Army, the rescue operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance and operational planning, culminating in the recovery of hundreds of men, women and children who had been abducted from several communities, particularly around the Ngoshe axis of Borno State.

The victims were reportedly held under difficult conditions before their rescue.

What the Army is saying

The military said the operation was launched after security agencies received credible intelligence from multiple sources identifying the location of the hostages and revealing the existence of a support network sustaining the terrorist enclave.

Following the intelligence report, military intelligence personnel embarked on an extensive target-development process, combining information gathered from human sources, communications intercepts, aerial surveillance platforms and long-range reconnaissance patrols to build a detailed picture of the area.

• “Through sustained intelligence collection and analysis, commanders developed a comprehensive understanding of the terrain, insurgent disposition, defensive arrangements, movement patterns, and the condition of the abductees,” the statement said.

The Army explained that the intelligence-driven strategy enabled troops to accurately identify vulnerabilities within the terrorist network, map the objective area and minimise risks to the hostages during the rescue mission.

The military further disclosed that intelligence operatives successfully penetrated the terrorist network, providing information on the exact locations of the captives, the movements of insurgent commanders and the group’s internal security arrangements. It added that psychological operations were also deployed to create distrust and confusion among insurgents ahead of the assault.

More insights

Acting on the intelligence gathered, Special Forces troops and personnel of Sector 1 of Operation HADIN KAI launched a coordinated multi-directional operation aimed at isolating the terrorist enclave and preventing the movement of insurgents into or out of the area.

According to the Army, troops infiltrated the area under the cover of darkness while surveillance assets provided real-time intelligence. The operation reportedly caught the insurgents by surprise, forcing some fighters to abandon their positions and flee into nearby mountainous terrain, while others surrendered.

The rescued victims were subsequently secured, medically screened and evacuated from the area.

• “Regrettably, two infants succumbed to exhaustion occasioned by the extremely challenging mountainous terrain and the hardships endured during their prolonged captivity,” the military stated.

The Army said the remaining rescued victims were relocated to safe locations where they are receiving medical attention and humanitarian assistance.

Military authorities described the operation as one of the most significant hostage rescue missions conducted in the North-East in recent years and said follow-up clearance operations are ongoing to eliminate remaining terrorist elements and dismantle support networks linked to the group.

What you should know

The latest rescue operation comes amid persistent security challenges across several parts of Nigeria, where terrorist and armed groups continue to carry out kidnappings, attacks on communities and assaults on security personnel.

• In one of the most concerning recent cases, at least 39 students and seven teachers were reportedly abducted on May 15 from the Esinele, Yawota and Alawusa communities in Oyo State. The victims remain in captivity.

• Reports indicate that the abductors have made far-reaching demands, including the release of detained terrorist leaders, payment of ransom, the provision of two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related conditions.

• The demands highlight the increasing sophistication and coordination of some terrorist networks operating in the country. Beyond financial gain, security analysts have warned that such groups are increasingly using kidnappings to pursue strategic objectives, including the release of high-profile operatives and concessions that could strengthen their operational capabilities.

Among those reportedly being sought by the kidnappers are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.