29 Women,25 Children And 5 Elderly Men Freed From BH camp

Nigeria’s army said Thursday it had set free 59
people held by Boko Haram, among them 29
women and 25 children, amid an ongoing offensive
against the Islamist group in the country’s restive
northeast.
The hostages were freed as the military stormed
two jihadist camps in the Konduga district of
Borno on Wednesday, about 35 kilometres (22
miles) southeast of the Borno state capital
Maiduguri, army spokesman Tukur Gusau told
reporters.
“During the operation a number of terrorists were
killed,” Gusau said.
A total of 29 women, 25 children and five elderly
men were freed, he added.
Mallam Modu Goni, one of the hostages, said a
large number of militants had abducted him and
several fellow villagers last week, and that he was
forced to go “several days without food before the
army rescued us yesterday”.
Earlier this week, the army said it had freed 30
other hostages, including 21 children.
Boko Haram has abducted thousands of civilians,
including children, in raids on villages and towns
inside Nigeria and abroad. Non-Muslims are
forcibly converted to Islam.
The movement has also forced young teenage girls
and women to become suicide bombers.
In just over a week, suicide bombers have killed at
least 47 people in attacks at crowded places,
including a market and a popular bar, in towns in
both Nigeria and Cameroon.