163 Nigerians freed after six months in jihadi captivity

The Story in Brief

Some of the 163 Nigerians rescued from jihadi captivity have described six months of starvation and fear. The captives, mostly women and children, were among over 300 kidnap victims freed by Nigerian forces this week. They were handed over to authorities in Ilorin on Friday for medical checks and were awaiting return to their families. Mary Ishaya, 44, who had never touched a dead body, said she was forced to bury fellow hostages who died. The Nigerians were abducted on February 3 when jihadi militants stormed the village of Woro, killing over 160 others. The freed captives looked emaciated; some were told their husbands had been killed in the attack. The US is providing limited logistical and intelligence support to Nigeria under an agreement aimed at protecting Nigerian Christians, according to the Times of India.