Boko Haram Loses Grip as Two Minors Escape After Half a Decade in Captivity

Two boys who escaped from Boko Haram’s captivity have been reunited with their families after four years in the jihadists’ custody, according to the Borno state police command.

Nahum Daso, the state’s police spokesperson, said in a statement on Tuesday that the boys, Ayuba Ishaku and Yakubu Haruna, both of whom were around 13 years old, showed up at the divisional police headquarters in Maiduguri on July 12.

According to Daso, the children were kidnapped in 2019 along with other women and children during an attack on Mandaragrau village in Biu LGA, Borno state.

He mentioned that they were abducted and held captive in the Baga neighborhoods of Mangari and Tumbun Mota in Kukawa LGA.

According to the police spokeswoman, the boys described how they were trained to service firearms and made to work as domestic helpers.

Using the fact that many terrorists had gone on operations, he said they were able to make their getaway on the evening of July 8 after months of preparation.

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The statement states that “they made their way through the bush to neighboring villages and communities before they finally found themselves in Maiduguri on the 12th of July, 2025.”

According to Daso, the commissioner of police ordered the boys to be placed in protective custody at the ITE division and cared for until attempts were made to find their family.

According to the police spokeswoman, one of the boys’ fathers, Ishaku Gaji, verified that they were among the many people kidnapped on December 29, 2019.

In accordance with the “Borno Model,” a government initiative that aids in the rehabilitation and reintegration of terrorism survivors, he stated that the children have been referred to the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs for a thorough debriefing.

The command is still dedicated to safeguarding civilians and collaborating with stakeholders to address the state’s security issues, said Naziru Abdulmajid, the commissioner of police in Borno, who praised the youngsters for their bravery.

Daso said, “The command encourages the public to be on guard and to notify security agencies right away of any suspicious activity.”