Troops of the Joint Taskforce Operation Hadin Kai have rescued another Chibok girl, Saratu Dauda, after nine years in Boko Haram captivity.
Presenting the girl before newsmen at Command-and-Control Centre, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, the Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Major-General Ibrahim Ali said 25-year-old Saratu Dauda was rescued by ground troops on May 6, 2023, at Ukuba camp in the Sambisa forest.
He said the Chibok girl had been forcefully married to two Boko Haram commanders, Abu Yusuf and Abu Zinira, and had three children.
According to General Ali, Saratu left behind her three children and found her way out of the Sambisa forest. He stressed that efforts were underway to rescue the three children.
Saratu was given medical care before she was handed over to the State government, the Theatre Commander explained.
He assured the nation of the military’s commitment to bring lasting peace and security to the region.
Receiving Saratu, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo promised that the former Boko Haram captive would be taken to Bulumkutu Rehabilitation Centre for psycho-social support before being reunited with her family.
While reviewing the rescue operations, she said out of the 276 schoolgirls who had been abducted by the terrorist group on April 14, 2014, 76 escaped, while 107 others were released by the insurgents in 2018.
The troops had in April 2023 rescued two Chibok girls and handed them over to Borno state government for rehabilitation and subsequent reintegration with their families.
This brings to 183 the number of Chibok schoolgirls so far rescued, while 93 remain unaccounted for.