Alice Loksha, a 42-year-old nurse who was abducted in 2018 by Boko Haram militants in Borno State, has regained her freedom after six years in captivity. Loksha escaped from her captors last month and was received in Maiduguri by the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, on Friday.
Speaking with journalists, Major General Wahdi Shuaibu, the Theatre Commander for Operation Hadin Kai, said, “She was captured while working at a UNICEF office in Kala Balge.” Shuaibu, represented by his deputy, Major General Kenneth Chigbu, praised Loksha’s resilience and noted the harsh conditions she endured during her captivity.
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Loksha was forced to marry a Boko Haram member, Abu Umar, and had a son named Mohammed with him. After Umar’s death, she was coerced into marrying another high-ranking insurgent, Abu Simak. Her escape from the Dogon Chuku camp on October 24, 2024, and arrival at the Joint Task Force headquarters on October 29 was a turning point in her harrowing journey.
“Both women have undergone traumatic experiences and have shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity,” said Major General Chigbu.
Another woman, Fayina Ali, who was abducted in 2020 while traveling from Kaduna, also regained her freedom. Fayina was held in several Boko Haram enclaves, including Kangaruwa and Tumbunma, before managing to escape.
The Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Army for their efforts to restore peace and facilitate the women’s rescue. “The women will undergo psychosocial support and rehabilitation before being reunited with their families,” Gambo assured.