Nine years after being kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014, the Nigerian Army announced on Thursday that it has recovered two more girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok.
Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Ali, the theatre commander of the North-East Joint Operation Hadin Kai, revealed this while briefing reporters at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.
Ali claimed that on April 21, 2023, soldiers from the 114 Taskforce Battalion Bitta at Lagara, operating under the 21 Armoured Brigade Bama, saved the lives of Hauwa Maltha and Esther Marcus, who were both assigned the serial numbers two and 103 on the list of the missing victims.
He reported the rescue of Hauwa Maltha, 26, a Kibaku woman from Jila in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno, along with her 3-year-old child.
He explained that Hauwa married Salman, a cinematographer for Abubakar Shekau, in the village of Gulukos in the Sambisa Forest while she was still being held captive.
“Salman later died in Lake Chad. Thereafter, Hauwa Maltha got married to one Mallam Muhammad in Gobara and had 2 children for him who later died due to sickness.
“Muhammad, her second husband, was also killed in Ukuba terrorist enclaves in Sambisa Forest during clashes between Boko Haram and ISWAP.
“Hauwa who was about 8 months and 2 weeks pregnant during the time of her rescue delivered a bouncing baby boy on April 28, 2023, while undergoing thorough medical examination along with her baby Fatima at 7 Division Medical Hospital and Services,” he said.
According to Ali, the 26-year-old Esther was forcibly married to a Boko Haram fighter named Garba, also known as Garus, while she was a captive. Garba was murdered as troops launched an onslaught against the terrorists’ strongholds.
“She was later married off to another insurgents, Abba, in Ukuba terrorist enclaves in Sambisa Forest until her rescue by troops of Operation Hadin Kai.
“Since their rescue, they have undergone thorough medical examination along with their babies and are adequately resuscitated and will be handed over to the Borno State Government for further administration.
“These results are evident as troops have rescued about 14 Chibok girls recently.
“The girls rescued so far include: Aisha Grema, serial number 11 on the abducted Chibok girls list, Hannatu Musa, number 7 on the list, and Sera Luka, number 38 on the list.
Among the others are Hassana Adamu, number 35, Mary Dauda, number 46, Hauwa Joseph, number 18, Asabe Ali, number 12, Jankai Yamal, number 20, Yana Pogu, number 19, Rejoice Sanki, number 70, and Ruth Bitrus, number 41.
He gave the people of the Northeast, in particular, the assurance that Operation Hadin Kai will continue to be steadfast and committed in eliminating all traces of terrorist groups and criminals that were still prowling the area and restoring complete and lasting peace.
“Our immense appreciation goes to the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, and Service Chiefs for their strategic guidance and provision of requisite logistics and operational platforms which have spurred the continuous successes,” he said.
Ref: NAN
