The Nigerian Army has announced the successful rescue of 386 people, mostly women and children, from the grip of insurgents in the Sambisa Forest. These individuals were reportedly abducted ten years ago.
The news comes on the heels of a ten-day military operation codenamed “Operation Desert Sanity 111.” During the operation, the troops killed 21 terrorists as they sacked many from their hideouts and razed the shelters
According to Brigadier General AGL Haruna, acting General Officer Commanding, GOC, of the 7th Division, the operation aimed to clear the notorious Sambisa Forest of any remaining terrorist presence.
Brig. Gen. Haruna, while addressing troops returning from the mission, revealed the number of rescued captives and expressed confidence that the figure would likely rise.
The GOC commended the performance and professionalism of the soldiers involved and urged them to maintain this momentum.
He also highlighted another objective of the operation: to provide a window for willing insurgents to surrender. The Army General indicated that some terrorists had already embraced this opportunity.
“Our effort is to ensure that we clear remnants of terrorists in the Sambisa and give those willing to surrender the opportunity to surrender,” he said. “With this operation, we envisage many of them will surrender as they have started.”
The Sambisa Forest has long served as a hideout for Boko Haram and other insurgent groups like the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP. It gained worldwide infamy in 2014 following the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls.
Military authorities have yet to state if the missing 90 Chibok girls were among those rescued.
Ezinwanne Onwuka, senior staff reporter and columnist with WAP is a Nigerian-based writer and content developer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her interests include reading, writing, researching and graphic designing.
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