In a significant development, Nigerian Army officers stationed in the North-East region have successfully rescued Lydia Simon, a former student who was abducted from Chibok Secondary School.
Confirmation of this rescue came in a statement released on Friday by the Department of Army Public Relations.
According to the statement, Lydia, identified as serial number 68, was saved along with her three children during a military operation known as Operation Desert Sanity III.
“Lydia, who was listed as serial number 68 among the Chibok Secondary School girls who were kidnapped, was rescued alongside her three children by troops conducting Operation Desert Sanity III. The operation took place around Ngoshe in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. At the time of her rescue, Lydia was five months pregnant and stated that she hails from Pemi Town in Chibok,” the statement explained.
Out of the total 271 students initially abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents, the current status stands at 57 girls who managed to escape shortly after the incident in 2014, 103 who were released through the intervention of the Federal Government, 20 freed due to the efforts of the state government, while unfortunately, 92 students still remain in captivity.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, troops engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the North Central region, the statement further revealed that on Tuesday, they successfully set up an ambush that resulted in the neutralization of three terrorists in Tse Kpese Community in Zaki Biam Local Government of Benue State.
During the operation, the troops recovered three AK-47 rifles and four magazines from the terrorists.