The military, on Tuesday, handed over to the Borno State Governor a rescued Chibok girl and 330 others, including women and children, abducted by Boko Haram.
This was disclosed in a statement by the acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations Headquarters Theatre Command, Captain Reuben Kovangiya.
He said, “In yet another remarkable achievement in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the North-East theatre of operations, the Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force, North-East Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, on Monday, 22 July 2024, handed over another rescued Chibok girl, Ihyi Abdu, to the Borno State government.”
According to the state, Shaibu, while briefing journalists at the Headquarters, Theater Command, Maimalari Cantonment Maiduguri, said the conduct of military operations across the theatre was key to achieving the mandate of OPHK, which is to restore normalcy in the North-East, for socio-economic activities to thrive.
“The plight of the remaining Chibok girls still in captivity necessitated the conduct of military operations deep into the terrorists’ enclaves with the aim of facilitating their release,” he said, promising that “OPHK will continue to do its best to rescue the remaining Chibok girls in line with the strategic guidance of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, and Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja.”
Giving details of the rescue, the acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division Nigerian Army and Commander, Sector 1 OPHK, Brig. Gen. Abubakar Haruna, said Ihyi and her two children were rescued by troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade Bama, during offensive operations conducted within Sambisa Forest in June 2024.
Haruna stated that Ihyi, 27 years old and Kibaku by tribe, hails from Kubur-Mbula village in the Chibok Local Government Area.
He added that while she was in captivity, she was married to one Abu Darda, an indigene of Plateau State in Gwoza town in 2014, after which he relocated to Senegal.
Since her rescue, according to the GOC, Ihyi and her children have undergone detailed medical examinations.
In the same vein, 330 women and children rescued by troops of OPHK were also handed over to the Borno State government.
During the handover, the Theatre Commander, who was represented by the Chief J9 (in charge of Civil Military Affairs) Navy Captain Mohammed Abdullahi, stated that the rescue was as a result of the wet season operations in the theatre.
He said the rescue was an indication that the logistics strangulation strategy in the conduct of the operations had been successful.
He thanked the Borno State Government for playing a key role in the non-kinetic efforts of the operations.
Receiving the rescued Chibok girl and 330 others on behalf of the Borno State government, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Borno State, who was represented by the Director Social Welfare, Mrs Aishatu Shettima, thanked the military for its vigilance and efforts at rescuing the Chibok girl as well as the women and children.
