Two boys who managed to escape from Boko Haram’s captivity have been reunited with their families after four years in the jihadists’ custody, according to the Borno state police command.
The youngsters, Ayuba Ishaku and Yakubu Haruna, both around 13 years old, arrived at the divisional police headquarters in Maiduguri on July 12, according to a statement released by the state’s police spokesperson, Nahum Daso, on Tuesday.
Daso stated that in 2019, an attack on Mandaragrau village in Biu LGA, Borno state, resulted in the kidnapping of the youngsters along with other women and children.
“They were taken to the Mangari and Tumbun Mota areas of Baga in Kukawa LGA, where they were held captive,” he said.
According to a police spokesperson, the boys described how they were trained to service firearms and made to work as domestic helpers.
He claimed that after months of preparation, they were able to make their getaway on the evening of July 8 by using the fact that many terrorists had gone on operations.
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The statement states, “They made their way through the bush to neighboring villages and communities before they finally found themselves in Maiduguri on the 12th of July, 2025.”
Daso added that at the commissioner of police’s request, the boys were placed in protective custody at the ITE division and given care before attempts were made to find their family.
The father of one of the boys, Ishaku Gaji, verified that they were among the several people kidnapped on December 29, 2019, the police spokeswoman said.
According to him, the children have been sent to the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs for a thorough debriefing as part of the “Borno Model,” a government initiative that aids in the recovery and reintegration of victims of terrorism.
Naziru Abdulmajid, Borno’s police commissioner, praised the boys’ bravery and stated that the command is still dedicated to safeguarding the public and collaborating with relevant parties to address the state’s security issues.
Daso stated, “The command encourages the public to maintain vigilance and to promptly report any suspicious activities to security agencies.”
