Alice Loksha, a nurse abducted by ISWAP terrorists, has regained freedom after six years in captivity.
She was abducted alongside two other female health workers on March 1, 2018, while working at a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) facility in Rann, Kala Balge LGA of Borno state.
Speaking with journalists at Maimalari cantonment, Maiduguri, on Friday, Kenneth Chigbu, deputy theatre commander of the joint task force (JTF) Operation Hadin Kai, said Loksha was found in Geidam, Yobe state, on October 24.
He said the 42-year-old nurse had been subjected to forced marriages with two ISWAP commanders and endured dire conditions before her eventual escape.
“She was initially taken to Tumbuma, where she was held for two days,” Chigbu said.
“From there, she was relocated to Kwalleram where she spent seven months and was forced into marriage with a terrorist leader named Abu Umar.
“The marriage led to the birth of a son, Muhammad. All this happened before Abu Umar was eliminated during a gunfight with troops in 2022.
“During that fight, he was found dead, and it was alleged that his colleagues had actually eliminated him.
“Ms Alice Loksha was again forced into another marriage to another ISWAP commander named Abu Simak in 2022 before the latter was banished by his fellow terrorists to Dogon Chukwu camp.
“It was from Dogon Chukwu that she managed to escape through the Diffa axis to Geidam on October 24, 2024, where she reported to troops of the Joint Task Force on October 29, 2024.
“She has since been subjected to medical evaluation and other humanitarian support.”
