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. |
'Commonsense' win as fish exports to US given allLife's little luxuries: Facial massage toolsAustralian pilot kidnapped in Papua New Guinea's highlandsRustle these up with Rosemary: Chocolate fondants I was deepfaked in porn videos having sex with various menI'm a gardening expertKiwiSaver contributions: Big gap between men and womenESTHER RANTZEN: I asked Mail readers to help me plan my funeral. Your choicesGlobal democracy rankings: Australia in top 10 nationsSydney Mardi Gras asks police not take part in Saturday's parade