By Afolabi Samuel Odunayo
After a serious raid of the deadly Sambisa Forest, a known den of Boko Haram terrorists, Major General Shuaibu Waidi, Theater Commander North East ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, has reportedly delivered 330 rescued women and children, including a Chibok schoolgirl, Ihi Abdul, along with her two children, to the Borno State Government on Monday.
During a briefing ceremony at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Major General Waidi said: “Today, we will be witnessing two events: the handover of the rescued Chibok girl and the handover of other women and children to the officials of the Borno State Government for further management.”
He noted that there are ongoing efforts to rescue the remaining Chibok girls who are still in captivity, highlighting the strategic guidance he received from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, respectively.
The terrorists activities in the Borno axis which Prompted several military operations aimed at rescuing the Chibok girls from terrorist enclaves, General Waidi said that the plight of the remaining Chibok girls still in captivity would continue to be a national concern and a matter of priority.
He asserted that so far, 19 Chibok girls have been rescued through direct military operations.
Also, Brigadier General Abubakar Haruna, Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division, provided further details on Ihi Abdul’s rescue.
He noted that she was rescued on July 22, 2024, by troops of the 22 Taskforce Brigade. Abdul, originally from Kuburbula village in Chibok local government area, was listed as number 67 on the federal government’s list of abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
General Haruna also explained that she had been married to Boko Haram Commander Abu Darda and subsequently to three different husbands after fleeing to Senegal.
Continuing, he said Abdul was later rescued with her two children. After undergoing necessary medical checkups, the army handed her over to the Borno State Government for further care on Monday.
