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. |
Stephen Curry tells the AP why 2024 is the right time to make his Olympic debutUSDA and China CCP lab are creating deadly BIRD FLU viruses as part of $1m collaborationWhat is cloud seeding? Step'I was afraid for my life' — Orlando Bloom puts himself in peril for new TV series3 Pennsylvania construction workers killed doing overnight sealing on IAlabama lawmakers advance bills to ensure Joe Biden is on the state's ballotStephen Williams becomes first British rider to win the Flèche Wallonne. He tamed rivals and snowMinnesota toddler dies after fall from South Dakota hotel windowOwner of ship in Baltimore bridge collapse asks cargo owners to help cover salvage costsTesla asks shareholders to reinstate Elon Musk's $55 billion pay package