The release of the 35 fishermen occurred overnight from Sunday, 28 June to Monday, 29 June 2026.
The fishermen had been held captive for several days by members of the Islamist sect Boko Haram.
Their freedom was secured after the payment of a ransom. Families of the abducted fishermen paid a total of 2.7 million FCFA to secure their loved ones’ release.
In their first accounts, the fishermen said they were detained in the Filin Bado area, one of the hundreds of islands on Lake Chad.
With ransom demands becoming a regular tactic, bandits and terrorists are increasingly resorting to kidnappings across the region.
