Boys Abducted in 2019 Escape Boko Haram, Reunite with Families in Borno

Two boys abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in 2019 have escaped captivity and reunited with their families after five years, according to the Borno State Police Command.

In a statement on Tuesday, Nahum Daso, the police spokesperson, said Ayuba Ishaku and Yakubu Haruna, both aged about 13, arrived at the divisional police headquarters in Maiduguri on July 12, 2025.

The boys were taken alongside other women and children during an attack on Mandaragrau village in Biu LGA, Borno state, on December 29, 2019. They were held in the Mangari and Tumbun Mota areas of Baga, in Kukawa LGA.

“The boys recounted how they were forced to serve as domestic aides and received training on servicing firearms,” Daso said.

After months of planning, the minors managed to escape on the night of July 8.

“They navigated through the bush to nearby villages and communities before they eventually found themselves in Maiduguri on the 12th of July, 2025,” the police statement added.

They were placed in protective custody at the ITE division, where they received care, and efforts were made to trace their families at the directive of the state’s Commissioner of Police.

Ishaku Gaji, father of one of the boys, confirmed they were among those abducted during the 2019 attack.

The children have now been referred to the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs for debriefing under the ‘Borno Model’ – a state initiative for rehabilitating and reintegrating survivors of terrorism.

Commending the boys’ bravery, Commissioner of Police Naziru Abdulmajid reaffirmed the command’s dedication to public safety.

“The command urges the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities to security agencies promptly,” Daso said.