Nigeria’s military on Monday said it coordinated along with a multinational joint task force to rescue over 1,000 people held captive by Boko Haram in the north-eastern part of the country.

The hostages comprise mostly of women and children. Young men who’ve been forced to pick up arms and fight for the Islamist militant group. The army’s statement concerning the rescue mission has not been independently verified at this point.

In an emailed statement sent by the military, troops liberated hostages from Amchaka, Gora, Malamkari, and Walasa villages of the Bama Local Government Area, Borno state.

Since December of 2015, the Nigerian government has declared Boko Haram to have been defeated. The Islamist militant group has continued with its kidnappings, suicide attacks, operating the same way since it began the insurgency back in 2009. The last few months, the group has engaged in high-profile targets.

Having ascended to power vowing to bring an end to the Boko Haram menace, President Buhari has made it his administration top priority to restore order and increase security across Nigeria. Stamping out the militant group has been a daunting challenge for the military as suicide bombings, kidnappings, and raids have continued.

Neba Benson,

BaretaNews Foreign Correspondent/Analyst