Out of the lion's den at last.

The Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said on Friday that women and children abducted by suspected Boko Haram militants have been freed.

They were freed by soldiers deployed for special operations in the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. It was said that the special forces stormed one of the camps located within the Sambisa Forest, where the women and children were being held and rescued nine of them – three women and six children. The defence spokesman said the soldiers were still combing the forest in a frantic search for a woman and two of her children believed to be missing in the 16-kilometre long forest.

He explained that the women were abducted from a police formation during the attack on some security establishments in Bama, Borno State, on May 7, 2013.

“Troops of the special operations have rescued three women and six children after overrunning three terrorists’ camps in the notorious Sambisa Forest of Central Borno in the ongoing onslaught against terrorists. “Troops combing the forest are, however, yet to locate one other woman and her two children. Source Punch.