Nigeria: Boko Haram releases 13 hostages February 10

Event

On Saturday, February 10, the Nigerian government announced that Boko Haram militants had released 13 hostages - three lecturers and ten women police officers - after over six months in captivity. The three lecturers were abducted by Boko Haram militants near Jibi village (Borno state) on July 25, 2017, while the police officers were abducted near Maiduguri in June 2017. Local authorities and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reportedly negotiated the release of the hostages. As of Monday, February 12, it is unclear if a ransom was paid.

Context

Kidnap for ransom - both of high net worth Nigerians and of foreign nationals - is commonplace in the country. Earlier in January, two American and two Canadian nationals were kidnapped near Kafanchan (Kaduna state), while traveling between the cities of Kaduna and Abuja. They were released unharmed four days later, in the same area.

The northeastern region of Nigeria is highly susceptible to attacks by Boko Haram, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in March 2015 and formally adopted the name of Islamic State in West Africa. While Nigerian military forces advanced against Boko Haram insurgents last year and pushed them out of much of their previously claimed territory, attacks by the insurgent group have been again on the rise since June 2017, with at least 170 people killed in the intervening months.

Advice

The security environment in Nigeria is complex and particularly poor in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as parts of Kano and Adamawa states) and the southern Niger Delta region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.