Two of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have escaped after spending nine years in Boko Haram captivity.
Sources told Daily Trust that the girls escaped from Sambisa forest, on Sunday, April 23, 2023, as a result of intense military operations.
A security source said the escapees were identified as Hauwa Mutah and Esther Markus.
“One is from Chibok and the other one from Dzilang village,” the source said. This has reduced the number of Chibok schoolgirls in captivity from 98 to 96.
The terrorists had on April 14, 2014, abducted 276 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok.
Earlier, the head of the Intelligence Unit of the Joint Military Task Force, Operation Hadinkai, Colonel Obinna Ezuipke, gave the number of the remaining Chibok girls in captivity as 98.
“Out of the 276 abducted Chibok girls, 57 girls escaped in 2014 while 107 girls were released in 2018. Three girls were recovered in 2019, two in 2021 and 9 were rescued in 2022, bringing the total of 178 girls out of captivity and 98 remaining in Boko Haram captivity.” he stated.