Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued 12 teenage girls abducted by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Mussa district of Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.
The victims, aged between 15 and 18, were seized on November 23 while harvesting crops on farmlands in the troubled community.
Sources were quoted to have said that the rescue operation was conducted on Saturday after days of intensified military surveillance and pressure on the terrorists’ hideouts. The counter-insurgency publication, Zagazola Makama, also confirmed the development through security contacts familiar with the operation.
It remained unclear on Saturday night whether ransom was paid before the girls were freed.
The teenagers were 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).
Military authorities have since moved them to a secured facility for medical checks, counselling, and profiling. They are expected to be reunited with their families after the mandatory evaluation.
Residents of Mussa district had fled to nearby communities following the November 23 raid, during which the insurgents abducted the girls and disrupted farming activities.
Security sources said the district remains volatile, with troops maintaining aggressive patrols to prevent further incursions.
The rescue comes amid a disturbing escalation of terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and killings across the northern region.
In Borno, ISWAP fighters recently ambushed a military convoy and captured Brigadier General M. Uba alive before later executing him—a development that triggered nationwide outrage.
Zamfara, Sokoto, and Yobe have also witnessed coordinated attacks by bandits and jihadist factions in recent weeks, leaving scores dead and displacing many.
More than 200 schoolchildren were kidnapped in Niger and Kebbi states in separate incidents, sparking public uproar over the worsening insecurity in schools.
While 24 Kebbi schoolgirls regained their freedom on November 25, over 250 pupils from Niger are believed to remain in captivity.
In Kwara State, 38 worshippers abducted during a livestream church service were also freed earlier this week.
Despite recent successes, security analysts say the surge in mass abductions signals a renewed confidence among armed groups exploiting gaps in Nigeria’s security architecture.
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