Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, Theartre Commander, North-East Joint Task Force, ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, has commended the troops for rescuing two of the students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, kidnapped by the Boko Haram Terrorists on 14 April 2014.
Musa, who gave the commendation in a statement issued in Maiduguri on Thursday, gave the names of the rescued schoolgirls as: Hauwa Joseph and Mary Dauda.
He said that as part of the successes recorded in the ongoing Operation Desert Sanity, the troops of 202 Battalion and 82 Division Task Force Battalion, during clearance operations on June 12 and June 14, intercepted the two girls.
“According to investigation, Hauwa hails from Mbalala in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno. She was intercepted along with her one-year-old child at Ngazua village in Bama LGA of Borno.
“It was also revealed that Hauwa was forcefully married to one Munzur six years ago. According to Hauwa, her opportunity to escape came when the military conducted an operation in their camp which led to the death of her husband.
“Hauwa’s name was on Serial 18 of the list of abducted GGSS Chibok girls published by the government.
“Similarly, Mary Dauda, who was also one of the kidnapped Chibok girls, was intercepted by troops, with her one-year-old son: Ayuba, in the general area of Gava in Gwoza LGA, Borno on June 14 and June 22.
“During interrogation, it was discovered that Mary was also abducted by Boko Haram on April 14, 2014, at GGSS, Chibok.
“It was also revealed that Mary hails from Rumingo in Chibok LGA of Borno. She was about 19 years old as at the time of her abduction,” he said.
Musa quoted Mary as saying that her husband was also killed alongside about 40 others in an air strike in May 2022 by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai at Sabil Huda Camp in Sambisa forest.
He said that Mary’s name was on Serial 46 of the list of the abducted GGSS Chibok students.
“The two intercepted Chibok girls and their babies are currently in military medical facility in Maiduguri for proper medical attention,” he said.
The theatre commander, while commending the troops for the tremendous achievement recorded against the insurgents, also thanked the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor and the service chiefs for their strategic guidance and logistics support.
He said that the two girls would be handed over to Borno government for further action. (NAN)