More than 400 women and children, previously held captive by the jihadist group Boko Haram, were handed over to local authorities in Nigeria’s Borno State on Monday. The freed individuals were rescued during military operations conducted over the weekend, as confirmed by military officials.

This rescue operation follows a pattern of mass abductions carried out by Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP), which have plagued Nigeria’s northeastern region since 2009. The insurgency has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions across Africa’s most populous nation.

Among those liberated were victims abducted from Ngoshe, a village located fewer than 10 kilometers from the Cameroonian border in the Gwoza hills—a known stronghold of Boko Haram. The area has frequently been targeted in violent attacks by the extremist group.

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State disclosed that approximately 360 individuals were rescued during the weekend’s operation, while an additional 82 were freed in the weeks prior. This brings the total number of rescued abductees to around 434, as reported by the governor.

In a statement to the press, one of the freed women, Hassana Buba, 43, expressed gratitude from the Pulka displaced persons camp where the former captives were reunited with local authorities. “We are deeply thankful to Allah for this liberation,” she said. “We are overjoyed and celebrating this moment.”

While Nigerian authorities deny paying ransoms, independent analysts suggest that such payments are a common practice, involving both government entities and the families of victims. Reports indicate that nearly $1.66 million was paid in ransoms to armed groups in Nigeria—including jihadists, bandits, and separatists—between July 2024 and June 2025, according to a Lagos-based intelligence firm.