Alice Loksha, a nurse who spent six harrowing years in captivity after being abducted by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, has regained her freedom. Her ordeal, which began on March 1, 2018, came to an end following her daring escape from her captors.
Loksha was kidnapped while working at a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) facility in Rann, Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State. She was discovered in Geidam, Yobe State, on October 24, 2024, and subsequently reported to troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Hadin Kai on October 29.
Addressing journalists at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Deputy Theatre Commander of the JTF, Kenneth Chigbu, detailed the nurse’s traumatic experience. Loksha, now 42, endured severe hardships, including forced marriages to two ISWAP commanders during her time in captivity.
“She was initially held in Tumbuma for two days before being moved to Kwalleram, where she spent seven months,” Chigbu explained. “During this period, she was forcibly married to a terrorist leader named Abu Umar, with whom she had a son, Muhammad. Following Umar’s death in 2022 during a gunfight with troops, Loksha was forced into another marriage with a commander known as Abu Simak.”
Simak was later exiled by his fellow terrorists to a camp in Dogon Chukwu, from where Loksha managed to escape. Her journey took her through the Diffa axis before she reached safety in Geidam.
In addition to Loksha’s escape, Chigbu confirmed that another woman, Fayina Ali, had also regained her freedom. Fayina, the younger sister of the late army officer Samuel Andrew, was abducted by ISWAP militants on October 19, 2022, while traveling to Maiduguri to process her brother’s death benefits.
“Fayina was held in Kangarwa for nine months before being moved to Tumbuma and then back to Kangarwa. She remained in captivity for over four years before successfully escaping,” Chigbu stated.
Both women were formally received by Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, who assured that they would receive the necessary care and support.
“They will undergo psychosocial rehabilitation and other support programs before being reintegrated with their families,” Gambo affirmed.
The fates of the other women abducted alongside Loksha during the 2018 attack on the UNICEF facility remain unknown.
