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Three schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram who struck at the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, in 2014 escaped from Gazuwa and Uqba camps in Sambisa forest while guards slept at midnight.

The three escapees, who are now women with children, were among the 250 school girls abducted on April 14, 2014, in Borno State when they were writing their final exams.

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The escapees went in different directions for three to four days in the Sambisa forest in order not to fall into the hands of other Boko Haram terrorists.

Presenting the three escapees to journalists at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri on Friday, the Theatre Commander of Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Christopher Musa said, “On June 27, 2022, one of the Chibok girls, Rude Bitrus, with her child, escaped from Uqba camp in Sambisa intercepted by our troops at Bama.

On July 25, 2022, troops of Operation Hadin Kai rescued two Chibok girls named Kauna Luka with a child and Hannatu Musa with two children at Ulmari general area. The girls are serial 41, 38, and 7 respectively in the list.

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“Troops have conducted several operations on land, maritime, and air, such as patrol, ambushes, and clearance, with over 60 terrorists neutralised and over 120 terrorists and their logistics supporters arrested.

“Before now, there were some areas that they felt troops didn’t go to. But now troops are entering every enclave, every location, and every camp where they are, which gives the Chibok girls an opportunity to escape from that area.

“We will continue to do that because we know there is still a large number of them leaving behind, and we assured you that we will not relent until all of them are rescued, including Leah Sharibu.

“We are also going further to identify those escapees from Kuje prison and send them to our troops so that if any of them decide to come back to the northeast, they will come to meet Isiah from here,” he added.

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(Tribune)