How Nurse Alice Loksha Escapes After Six Years in Boko Haram Captivity
Alice Loksha, a 42-year-old nurse, has regained her freedom after being held captive by Boko Haram insurgents for six years. She was kidnapped in 2018 while working at a UNICEF facility in Kala Balge, Borno State.
During a press briefing in Maiduguri, Major General Wahdi Shuaibu, the Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, revealed that Alice had been captured by the insurgents while on duty. He was represented by his deputy, Major General Kenneth Chigbu, who also shared the news of another captive, Fayina Ali, who had been taken in 2020 while traveling from Kaduna to claim her late brother’s death benefits.
Both women suffered forced marriages during their captivity. Alice was coerced into marrying a Boko Haram leader named Abu Umar, with whom she had a son, Mohammed. After his death, she was forced into another marriage to an ISWAP commander named Abu Simak. Alice eventually escaped from the Dogon Chuku camp on October 24, 2024, and made her way to headquarters by October 29, where she was provided medical care.
Fayina, who had been held in multiple locations over the years, was first imprisoned at Kangaruwa for nine months, then moved to Tumbunma for three years, before returning to Kangaruwa for another year. She finally escaped her captors after enduring years of abuse.
The women, both of whom have endured immense suffering, are being commended for their resilience. Zuwaira Gambo, the Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs, expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Army for their efforts in securing peace in the region. She assured that both women would receive necessary psychosocial support and rehabilitation before being reunited with their families.
The ongoing Boko Haram insurgency continues to devastate northeastern Nigeria and neighboring countries, displacing millions and causing severe humanitarian crises. Kidnapping for ransom has become one of the group’s primary methods of financing their
operations.
