Two young girls escape from terrorist enclave, surrender to troops in Borno

Two young girls believed to be family members of Boko Haram terrorists have escaped from an insurgent enclave in the Mandara Mountains and surrendered to troops of Operation HADIN KAI in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Intelligence sources told security analyst Zagazola Makama that the girls surrendered at about 3:55 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 to troops of C Company, 192 Battalion (Mechanised), deployed in Gwoza.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the girls escaped from the Grazah terrorist enclave located in the Mandara Mountains before making their way to the military position.

The girls were identified as Fatima Adamu, 11, and Rahima Adamu, 7.

Military sources said the two minors were received by the troops, properly screened and documented in line with established operational procedures.

They are currently in the custody of the 192 Battalion for further profiling and appropriate administrative action.

The surrender is the latest in a series of escapes and voluntary surrenders involving women and children from terrorist enclaves in the North-East as sustained military operations continue to exert pressure on insurgent strongholds.

Military authorities said the general security situation across the theatre remains calm but unpredictable, with troops maintaining high morale and operational readiness while continuing offensive operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP elements.