5 abducted Borno children escape from captivity

Friday, June 5, 2026 - Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued five children who escaped from Boko Haram terrorist enclaves in different parts of Borno State following sustained military pressure on insurgent hideouts.

Military sources said the rescue operations were carried out on June 4 during ongoing fighting and perimeter clearance patrols conducted by troops in the North-East theatre.

Troops of the 82 Division Task Force Battalion rescued two female escapees, Aisha Idrisa, 13, and Fatima Abubakar, 11, around the Amuda general area of Gwoza Local Government Area.

The girls reportedly escaped from a terrorist enclave in the Sahalawa area after intensified military bombardments and ground operations forced the insurgents to abandon their positions.

Preliminary debriefing revealed that the two girls are indigenes of Pulka community and were abducted by terrorists in 2025.

“The escapees disclosed that sustained military pressure and bombardments compelled the terrorists to flee, creating an opportunity for them to escape captivity,” a military source said.

The rescued girls were subsequently screened, documented and reunited with their families at the Pulka Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in the presence of camp officials.

In a related development, three other female escapees identified as Wuriya Kaka, 12, Fauza Abu, 13, and Hussaina Usman, 13, surrendered to troops of the 26 Task Force Brigade in Gwoza after escaping from Guduf Nagadayo in the Mandara Mountains.

The military said the three girls are currently undergoing screening and profiling procedures in line with established protocols.

Security analysts say the increasing number of escapees from terrorist-held locations reflects the growing pressure being exerted on insurgent groups through sustained military operations across the North-East.

The military maintained that the overall security situation in the theatre remained calm but unpredictable, while troops continued to demonstrate high morale and operational effectiveness in ongoing counter-insurgency operations.