Three women and six children abducted by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram who were shown in their video recently have been rescued by the Nigerian Army (Wednesday 22nd May, 2013.
According to Defence Spokesman Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, the group was abducted on May 7 during an attack on the town of Bama in the country’s northeast, but two children and one woman still remain missing.
In his words, he said:
“Efforts of the troops’ operation around the Sambisa forest resulted in freedom for nine of the women and children that were held hostage in that camp,” Olukolade told journalists, adding they were freed on Wednesday.
In the video, suspected Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claimed in the video that the group was holding women and children hostage in retaliation for wives and children of its members detained by the military.
The May 7 attack in Bama saw insurgents disguised in military uniforms break into a prison and attack several government buildings, leaving 55 people dead. The women and children were around the sites at the moment of the attack and were taken hostage.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three north-eastern states on May 14, 2013 and launched a military offensive seeking to end Boko Haram’s four-year insurgency.
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