The Nigerian Army has announced that troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued 360 kidnapped individuals from a Boko Haram camp in the Mandara mountain range area of Gwoza Local Government Area in Borno State.
The Army stated that the rescue was achieved following a major raid planned based on intelligence.
These individuals were among 416 people, including young children, abducted by Boko Haram fighters when they attacked the town of Ngoshe in March.
During that attack, the group released a propaganda video in which one of its commanders claimed they would hold Ngoshe town until the end of Ramadan and conduct Eid prayers at the Great Mosque of Ngoshe.
However, subsequent offensive operations by Operation Hadin Kai troops forced the militants to abandon the area. On Eid-el-Fitr day, military personnel alongside local residents safely performed Eid prayers at the mosque the group had claimed to control, marking a significant setback to its propaganda.
.How the rescue operation was conducted
In a statement released on Sunday by the acting spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant Colonel Haruna Sani, he said the rescue operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and planning.
According to him, security agencies obtained credible information that identified where the people were held captive and uncovered the network of collaborators supporting the camp.
He explained that military intelligence operatives collated human intelligence, communications intercepts, and drone footage to analyze the area, track militant activities, and assess the condition of the hostages.
Haruna Sani said this major success was achieved after intelligence operatives managed to infiltrate the militants' network, providing them with detailed information on where the people were hidden, how the group's commanders organized themselves, and their movement patterns.
He added that certain high-level covert tactics employed by security forces caused confusion within the group, leading to a decisive outcome in the assault.
.The raid was launched at night
After obtaining this intelligence, troops launched a multi-directional nighttime raid, cordoning off the area and blocking potential escape routes for the militants.
"The operation caught the terrorists off guard, preventing them from mounting a timely response," the spokesperson said.
According to him, some militants fled to the surrounding mountains, while others surrendered as troops continued to advance.
The rescued individuals were then evacuated to safe locations, where they underwent medical screenings and began receiving humanitarian care and medication.
.Two infants died
However, Haruna Sani stated that two infants lost their lives due to exhaustion and the harsh mountainous conditions they endured while in the hands of their captors.
He described the rescue operation as one of the largest hostage recovery successes recorded in the North-East region in recent years.
According to him, the Army headquarters commended the troops who conducted the operation, stating that the success demonstrates the effectiveness of intelligence-driven security operations and strong cooperation among security agencies.
He added that new offensive operations against terrorists are ongoing to capture those who fled, dismantle remaining support networks, and prevent the recurrence of such abductions in the region.