Troops of Operation Hadin Kai Theatre Command in Borno State rescued two more of the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok by Boko Haram terrorists in April 2014.
The Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Ali, disclosed this to newsmen in Maiduguri on Thursday.
Ali, who showed the abductees to newsmen, gave their names as Esther Marcus and Hauwa Malta, both now aged 26.
He said they were rescued by troops at Lagara, a Boko Haram enclave in Sambisa Forest, on April 21.
The latest rescue brings the total number of the girls now out of the terrorists’ captivity to 125, including the 107 released by the terrorists themselves in 2018.
The military rescued three of the girls in 2019, two in 2021, and 11 in 2022.
“Ninety-four are still unaccounted for,” the theatre command told journalists.
The rescued Esther and Hauwa were handed over to the Borno State Ministry for Women Affairs.
“Esther was rescued with her one-year-old baby girl. While in captivity, she was first married to one Garba, alias Garus, a terrorist, who was later killed by troops; and she was remarried to another terrorist called Abba; she was with him until her rescue,” Ali said.
He added that “Hauwa Malta was rescued with eight months and 10 days’ pregnancy; she delivered a baby boy at the 7 Division health facility 10 days after their rescue.”
According to the theatre commander, while in Boko Haram captivity, Malta was first married to a terrorist called Salman, who was killed in a troops-terrorists duel in Lake Chad, after which she was married to another terrorist called Mallam Mohammed, who was killed in a Boko Haram-ISWAP clash.
He said the troops of the joint task force of the theatre command would not relent in their efforts at ensuring that all the abducted girls were rescued.
Meanwhile, the military high command in Abuja said on Thursday that troops of Operation Hadin Kai killed a total of 40 terrorists and arrested 25 in the last two weeks.
The command also said no fewer than 131 kidnapped Nigerians were rescued within the period under review.
The Director, Defence Media Operation, Musa Danmadami, disclosed these while briefing select journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
Danmadami added that 510 terrorists surrendered to the troops.
He said, “Cumulatively, within the weeks in focus, troops neutralised 40 terrorists, arrested 25 terrorists as well as eight terrorists’ logistics suppliers. Troops also rescued 131 abducted civilians while a total of 510 Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists and members of their families, comprising 54 adult males, 164 adult females, and 292 children surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre of operations.”
Danmadami added that 16 AK47 rifles, 15 Dane guns, six QJC 88 AA guns, one QJC 88 barrel, one SMG, 2 DSHKAA guns, two NSVT AA guns, one GMPG, one pump-action gun, two locally-made double-barrel guns, one locally-made shotgun, 51 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition, 26rounds of 12.7 x 108mm, among others, were recovered by the troops during the operations conducted in the North-East in the last two weeks.
He said all recovered items and apprehended suspects had been handed over to the relevant authorities for further action, adding that the rescued terrorists escapees and members of their families were profiled and given medical attention, while the surrendered terrorists and members of their families are also being profiled for further action.
