June 8, 2026

The Panafrican Press

English-language platform committed to rigorous, independent journalism across the African continent.

Hundreds of Boko Haram captives freed in Nigeria, details remain murky

In this photo released by Nigerian Army, freed women and children that were abducted by Boko Haram in southern Borno, Nigeria. Saturday, June 6, 2026. (Nigerian Army via AP)

The Nigerian army announced on Sunday, June 7, that several hundred people abducted months earlier by a faction of the jihadist group Boko Haram in Ngoshe, Borno State (northeastern Nigeria), have been freed. A video released by the military shows frightened women and children being transported in vans or pickup trucks at night, then gathered under trees on the ground, surrounded by soldiers. The number of released individuals ranges between 360 and nearly 420, depending on the source.