Nigerian troops under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) rescued 360 hostages from a Boko Haram stronghold in the Mandara Mountains of southern Borno State. The operation targeted a fortified enclave of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), the group behind the abductions.
The hostages—men, women, and children—were abducted from Ngoshe and surrounding communities in April. Military sources confirmed the rescue followed weeks of intelligence gathering, including human intelligence, signals interception, and drone surveillance. Covert assets infiltrated the insurgent network to pinpoint hostage locations and disrupt command structures.
The assault force, comprising Special Forces and Sector 1 troops, launched a multi-axis night raid. Blocking forces sealed escape routes while real-time drone feeds guided ground troops. The operation achieved tactical surprise, overwhelming insurgents before they could mount resistance. Two infants died from exhaustion during evacuation, but the remaining 358 survivors were airlifted to medical facilities.
Borno Governor Babagana Zulum praised the military’s “courage and professionalism,” crediting inter-agency collaboration for the success. He surged continued vigilance, noting ongoing efforts to secure the release of schoolchildren abducted in Askira-Uba. Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume called for humanitarian aid to rebuild Ngoshe, where displaced residents await reconstruction before returning home.
The military described the mission as a “significant blow” to Boko Haram, demonstrating OPHK’s intelligence dominance in the northeast. Follow-up operations are underway to dismantle residual insurgent networks and prevent future abductions.
