Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have rescued six abducted women and children, reuniting them with their families in the Ngoshe community, Gwoza LGA, Borno State.
In a statement released on Friday, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer at the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East), disclosed that the rescue was made possible by sustained offensive operations, including recent aerial strikes on terrorist strongholds nestled within the Mandara Mountains.
The statement explained that, acting on reliable intelligence, troops of Operation HADIN KAI intercepted and freed the six victims in the early hours of May 1, 2026, while returning from an overnight combat mission. The encounter took place near Amuda, an abandoned area between Ngoshe and Gava, widely known as a transit corridor for terrorist activity.
The rescued individuals were named as Zainab Idris (18), Fatima Abubakar (17), Maimuna Abdulrashid (24), Muhammad Idris (1), Sadiq Abdullahi (7), and Fatima Abdulrashid (5).
Initial debriefings revealed that the victims were among residents kidnapped during a terrorist raid on the Ngoshe community on March 3, 2026. They had been held captive at a terrorist base in Gava before managing to escape.
During the rescue operation, troops came under intermittent gunfire as fleeing terrorists attempted to recapture the escapees. The soldiers responded swiftly, engaging the attackers in a brief firefight that forced the terrorists to retreat into the surrounding mountainous terrain.
The statement further noted that the successful rescue is a direct result of sustained operational pressure on terrorist groups, which has considerably weakened their organizational cohesion and sown internal confusion among their ranks.
Intelligence reports indicate that the terrorists are growing increasingly desperate and paranoid in the wake of mounting losses and the flight of captives, among them a 16-year-old girl who had been forcibly taken as a wife by one of their commanders.
Following their rescue, the victims received immediate first aid and underwent medical evaluations at a military facility before being formally handed over to community authorities. By approximately 2:00 p.m. that same day, an emotional reunion ceremony was held, with the victims reunited with their families through the Wali of Ngoshe, Alhaji Shuaibu Dabawa, in the presence of community members.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria reaffirmed their steadfast dedication to protecting communities, recovering abducted individuals, and eradicating terrorist elements from across the North East region, adding that troop morale and operational effectiveness remain strong as missions press forward with fresh determination.
The military also appealed to members of the public to continue sharing prompt and credible information to bolster ongoing operations in the interest of security, peace, and economic progress across the Northeast.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI rescued six abducted women and children in Borno State on May 1, 2026, reuniting them with their families after nearly two months in terrorist captivity.
The rescue, carried out near the Mandara Mountains, underscores the growing effectiveness of sustained military pressure on terrorist groups in the North East, pressure that has visibly degraded their coordination and driven their captives to flee.
