A NURSING mother and her infant son who were abducted during a terrorist attack on Ngoshe community in Borno State have regained their freedom following a rescue operation by troops of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai.
The victims, identified as 20-year-old Maryam Muhammad and her one-year, four-month-old son, Bello Muhammad, were among those kidnapped when terrorists attacked Ngoshe on March 3, 2026. Their rescue formed part of a wider military offensive that also led to the neutralisation of terrorists and the surrender of insurgents’ family members in the North-East.
Military authorities said the successful operation underscores the growing pressure being mounted on terrorist enclaves across the region, particularly around the Mandara Mountains and border communities.
The development was disclosed on Thursday in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba.
According to the statement, troops conducting offensive operations under Operation Desert Sanity V/Siege Operation in the Amuda general area intercepted and rescued the abductees after sustained attacks on terrorist hideouts weakened their captors.
“In a major humanitarian breakthrough, troops of OPHK, while conducting offensive operations in the Amuda general area, successfully intercepted and rescued two abductees from the Ngoshe community,” the statement said.
Military authorities revealed that preliminary debriefing showed the victims had been held in a terrorist enclave deep within the Mandara Mountains before managing to escape after intense military fire missions forced the insurgents to abandon their positions.
Following their rescue, the woman and her child underwent initial medical assessment before being safely reunited with their family members through community leaders in Ngoshe.
In a related operation, troops of Operation Hadin Kai deployed in Wulgo and the proposed Combat Outpost (COP) Jagarawaji, working alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), carried out coordinated offensives across Wulgo, Gumsari and Hausari communities.
The troops reportedly uncovered several signs of terrorist activity, including makeshift medical facilities equipped with blood transfusion materials and antibiotics, ammunition, and a uniform believed to belong to a terrorist commander, popularly referred to as an Amir.
During the operation, one terrorist was neutralised, while troops recorded no casualties.
The military also reported an increase in the number of insurgents’ family members fleeing terrorist camps and surrendering to security forces as sustained military pressure continues to degrade the terrorists’ operational capabilities.
Among those who surrendered was a 50-year-old woman identified as Ghwa’a Biwa, who escaped from a terrorist camp in the Mandara Mountains and surrendered to troops of the 192 Battalion in the Gwoza axis.
According to military authorities, she attributed her decision to flee to the relentless military offensives and the worsening living conditions within the camps, including shortages of basic necessities.
Similarly, another woman, Binta Umaru, aged 19, and her two-year-old daughter, Hafsat Ibrahim, escaped from a separate terrorist enclave in the Mandara Mountains and surrendered to troops deployed along the Gwoza-Limankara Road.
The military said all surrendered individuals have been screened, documented and placed in custody for further profiling in accordance with established procedures.
Operation Hadin Kai noted that the latest successes demonstrate the effectiveness of ongoing operations aimed at dismantling terrorist support networks, rescuing abducted civilians and restoring normalcy to communities affected by insurgency.
The Joint Task Force reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining military pressure on terrorist groups while intensifying efforts to rescue captives and restore lasting peace, security and economic stability across the North-East.
The Military High Command also commended the troops for their performance and urged them to maintain the momentum of ongoing operations in the interest of national security.