Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued 12 teenage girls abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The victims, aged between 15 and 20, were seized on 23 November while harvesting crops on family farmlands.
First Daily correspondent gathered that the rescue operation, carried out on Saturday, followed a swift, intelligence-driven mission by troops of Operation Hadin Kai operating in the southern Borno axis.
According to a post shared on the Nigerian Army’s Facebook page on Saturday night, the coordinated assault on terrorist hideouts forced the insurgents to abandon the young captives, enabling the troops to recover them unharmed.
The girls have since been evacuated to a secure military location where they are undergoing medical evaluation, psychological care and debriefing.
They will be formally reunited with their families after completing these procedures, the Army said.
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The rescued victims have been identified as Fatima Shaibu (17), Fatima Umaru (15), Hauwa Abubakar (18), Saliha Muhammed (15), Sadiya Umaru (17), Amira Babel (15), Zara Adamu (17), Nana Shaibu (15), Zainab Musa (18), Zainab Muhammed (17), Jamila Saidu (15) and Hauwa Hamidu (17).
The military high command praised the troops for their professionalism and commended the cooperation of local informants and security stakeholders whose timely intelligence made the operation possible.
It added that troops are continuing pursuit operations to dismantle ISWAP cells and prevent further attacks on communities in the area.
The Army urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing credible information to support ongoing counterterrorism efforts, stressing that community collaboration remains vital to restoring lasting peace and security across the region.
