MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Hundreds of hostages, mostly children and women, who were held captive for months or years by Boko Haram extremists in northeastern Nigeria have been rescued from a forest enclave and handed over to authorities, the army said. The 350 hostages had been held in the Sambisa Forest, a hideout for the extremist group which launched an insurgency in 2009, Maj. Gen. Ken Chigbu, a senior Nigerian army officer, said late Monday while presenting them to authorities in Borno, where the forest is. The 209 children, 135 women and six men appeared exhausted in their worn-out clothes. Some of the girls had babies believed to have been born from forced marriages, as is often the case with female victims who are either raped or forced to marry the militants while in captivity. One of the hostages had seven children and spoke of how she and others couldn’t escape because of their children. |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans to stay alive in IPLGypsy Rose Blanchard, 32, shows off new nose after undergoing plastic surgeryIsrael has briefed US on plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of potential Rafah operationIreland knocks out Argentina again in Singapore SevensI hosted puppy yoga and my house ended up stinking of pooI celebrate World Naked Gardening Day every dayRep. Henry Cuellar of Texas vows to continue his bid for an 11th term despite bribery indictmentHome favorite Jannik Sinner withdraws from the Italian Open because of hip injuryBeyonce added to French dictionary with publication listing her as 'American singer of R&B and pop'Ben Yedder scores two as Monaco beats Clermont 4