Troops rescue 360 Boko Haram hostages from Borno Mountain hideout
The Nigerian military has rescued 360 hostages—comprising men, women, and children—from a notorious terrorist stronghold in Borno State.
The successful rescue followed a high-stakes, intelligence-led operation in the rugged terrains of the state’s southern region, defence officials confirmed on Sunday.
According to an official statement signed by the Acting Media Information Officer for Headquarters OPHK, Lieutenant Colonel Haruna M. Sani, the mission was a masterclass in intelligence-led warfare.
Military intelligence elements seamlessly integrated Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations using unmanned aerial systems (drones) and long-range reconnaissance patrols.
The hostages were being held deep within the Mandara Mountains by the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), popularly known as the main faction of the Boko Haram terrorist group. According to military statements, the victims had been abducted from various local communities over an unspecified duration.
A formidable Joint Task Force, featuring elite Special Forces units, executed the raid. The troops overwhelmed the insurgents, forcing the JAS fighters to abandon their fortified positions and flee.
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While hundreds are now breathing the air of freedom, the military confirmed the tragic demise of two children during the operation. The minors succumbed to severe exhaustion and the harsh, unforgiving environmental conditions of the mountain hideout.
This latest success comes as the federal government continues its multi-front battle against deeply entrenched security challenges across the nation. These threats span the North with its persistent onslaughts from Islamist militants and heavily armed kidnapping syndicates; and the Middle Belt with its long-running herder-farmer conflicts over land and resources. Meanwhile, the rise of community defence militias filling security vacuums is another concern
As Nigeria approaches the upcoming presidential election in January, the twin crises of widespread abductions and the expansion of armed groups remain at the absolute forefront of national discourse and voter priorities.
