Fifty-eight women used as sex slaves by Boko Haram in Bama area of Borno have been rescued by Nigerian soldiers, the army said on Monday. The troops also rescued 75 children and 15 men.
Spokesman for the army in the area Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said that the women were rescued by troops of 21 Brigade supported by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force deployed in Operation Lafiya Dole.
He said, “The troops rescued the hostages during an extensive Clearance Operation on Sunday 3 June, 2018, to rid the general area of Bama, Modu Kimeri and Gulumba Gana of fleeing elements of Boko Haram terrorists who had escaped from the ongoing troops’ onslaught in the Lake Chad Islands and fringes of the northern borders of Borno State.
“The rescued hostages, comprising 15 men, 58 women and 75 children revealed durinboko haram
g a joint profiling and interrogations by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and other security agencies, that the Boko Haram terrorists had sexually violated the females and used them as sex slaves.” Nwachukwu added that two pregnant teenage girls were among the rescued persons.
“The rescued persons further disclosed that the men were not spared, as they were regularly engaged in forced labour while in the captivity of the terrorists,. “They will be promptly handed over to officials of Bama Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp for welfare and administration.”
