Army rescues another Chibok schoolgirl, three daughters in Borno

Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Ali, said another Chibok schoolgirl has been rescued, alongside three daughters.

Twenty-five-year-old Saratu Dauda was rescued by ground troops on May 6, 2023, at the Ukuba terrorists’ hideout in Sambisa forest, Borno State.

Handing Saratu over to the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, in Maiduguri, yesterday, Ali said: “Prior to her rescue, Saratu was married to Abu Yusuf, a Boko Haram Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) expert.”

He said she was taken to the Maimalari military hospital for intensive care before the hand over to the state government.

“We thank God for rescuing you and your children. This will enable you to have a better life with your children and other families in Chibok community,” he said.

While reviewing rescue operations, he said out of 276 schoolgirls abducted on April 14, 2014, 76 escaped, while Boko Haram released 107. He said the army rescued 186 schoolgirls, lamenting, however, that 93 abductees still remained in captivity.

Ali explained that between 2019 and 2023, troops rescued 19 Chibok schoolgirls.

The commissioner told journalists that the state government would sponsor Saratu and her daughters to complete their education in state.