Over 400 Boko Haram captives freed in northeast Nigeria, handed to authorities

A woman, freed after being kidnapped in Nigeria by the jihadist group Boko Haram, is handed over to local authorities in Pulka, June 8, 2026.

On Monday, the Nigerian army handed over more than 400 women and children to local authorities. These individuals were freed after being kidnapped earlier this year by the jihadist group Boko Haram in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.

Since 2009, a jihadist insurgency led by Boko Haram and later its rival, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions in the northeast of Africa’s most populous nation.

Mass kidnappings, often followed by ransom negotiations, are a common tactic employed by the Islamist militants.

On Sunday, the military reported that approximately 360 people were freed over the weekend, not directly by Boko Haram but during an army operation based on intelligence.

Another 82 captives were freed two to three weeks ago, according to Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, who said the total number of rescued former detainees stands at around 434.

The victims were abducted from Ngoshe village, located less than 10 kilometers from the Cameroonian border in the Gwoza hills, a stronghold of Boko Haram. The area has faced repeated assaults from Islamist fighters.

One of the freed women, 43-year-old Hassana Buba, expressed gratitude in the Pulka displacement camp where the former captives were handed over. “We thank Almighty Allah for this rescue. We are very grateful and we are also celebrating,” she said.

Authorities deny paying ransoms, though analysts say it is a common practice, both by the government and by victims’ families.

A report from SBM Intelligence, a consulting firm based in Lagos, indicated that about $1.66 million was paid in ransoms from July 2024 to June 2025 to various armed groups in Nigeria, including jihadists, bandits, and separatists.