Alice Loksha, a nurse who was abducted by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists six years ago, has finally been freed, marking a long-awaited and emotional end to her harrowing ordeal. Loksha was kidnapped on March 1, 2018, while working at a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) facility in Rann, Kala Balge Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, during an attack on the facility by ISWAP militants. After six years in captivity, she managed to escape from her captors, regaining her freedom in a remarkable turn of events.
In a statement made to journalists at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri on Friday, Deputy Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Hadin Kai, Kenneth Chigbu, confirmed that Loksha was found in Geidam, Yobe State, on October 24, 2024. The escape has been celebrated as a significant moment, marking the end of her long captivity.
Chigbu shared details of the horrific conditions Loksha endured during her captivity. According to the JTF, Loksha, now 42 years old, was forced into two marriages with ISWAP commanders. Her first marriage occurred after being relocated to Kwalleram, where she was held for seven months. She was then coerced into marrying a terrorist leader named Abu Umar, with whom she had a son, Muhammad. Abu Umar, who was allegedly killed during a gunfight with Nigerian troops in 2022, was reported to have been eliminated by his own colleagues.
After the death of Abu Umar, Loksha was again forced into marriage, this time to another ISWAP commander named Abu Simak in 2022. This second marriage, however, was short-lived as Abu Simak was banished to the Dogon Chukwu camp by his fellow terrorists. It was from this camp that Loksha managed to escape, making her way to the Diffa axis before finally reaching Geidam on October 24, 2024. She reported her escape to the troops of the Joint Task Force on October 29, 2024.
Chigbu also confirmed the escape of another captive, Fayina Ali, the younger sister of the late Samuel Andrew, an army officer who served under the 212 Battalion. Ali had been abducted by ISWAP terrorists on October 19, 2022, while traveling to Maiduguri to process the death benefits of her late brother. Fayina was initially held captive at the Kangarwa enclave for nine months before being moved to Tumbuma, where she remained for four years under one of the terrorist leaders, Muhammad Sheikh. After being taken back to Kangarwa for another year, Fayina eventually managed to escape.
Both Loksha and Ali were received by Zuwaira Gambo, the commissioner for women affairs and social development in Borno state, on behalf of the state government. Gambo reassured the military that the women would receive the necessary care and support for their recovery. “The women will undergo psychosocial support and rehabilitation before being handed over to their families for integration,” she said, highlighting the state government’s commitment to assisting the women in their recovery and reintegration into society after their traumatic experiences.