{"id":55394,"date":"2014-10-11T10:25:08","date_gmt":"2014-10-11T10:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=55394"},"modified":"2014-10-11T10:25:08","modified_gmt":"2014-10-11T10:25:08","slug":"cameroon-says-27-boko-haram-hostages-released","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/10\/cameroon-says-27-boko-haram-hostages-released\/","title":{"rendered":"Cameroon says 27 Boko Haram hostages released"},"content":{"rendered":"
Cameroon’s president has said that 27 hostages, including 10 Chinese workers, held by suspected Boko Haram militants have been released.<\/p>\n
Also freed was the wife of Cameroon’s Vice-Prime Minister Amadou Ali.<\/p>\n
President Paul Biya said that the hostages, seized in May and July close to the Nigeria border, were safe.<\/p>\n
Boko Haram is seeking to establish an Islamist state in Nigeria but its fighters often cross the long and porous border with Cameroon.<\/p>\n
Many Nigerian civilians in border towns have fled to Cameroon to escape Boko Haram attacks, which have been stepped up in recent months.<\/p>\n
In July, Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger agreed to form a 2,800-strong regional force to tackle Boko Haram militants.<\/p>\n
Cameroon has reinforced its troops in its northern regions.<\/p>\n
Girls’ abduction<\/p>\n
President Biya said in a statement on state radio: “The 27 hostages kidnapped on May 16, 2014, at Waza and on July 27, 2014, at Kolofata were given this night to Cameroonian authorities.<\/p>\n
“Ten Chinese, the wife of the Vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali, the Lamido (a local religious leader) of Kolofata, and the members of their families kidnapped with them are safe.”<\/p>\n
No details were given on the circumstances of the release or whether a ransom was paid.<\/p>\n
In July, Cameroon said Mr Ali’s wife and maid were abducted in “a savage attack” on his home in Kolofata by Boko Haram militants.<\/p>\n
Mr Ali managed to escape to a neighbouring town.<\/p>\n
Efforts to step up regional co-operation gained momentum after Boko Haram caused an international outcry by abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding school in north-eastern Nigeria.<\/p>\n
The girls are thought to be held in the vast Sambisa forest, along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cameroon’s president has said that 27 hostages, including 10 Chinese workers, held by suspected Boko Haram militants have been released. Also freed was the wife of Cameroon’s Vice-Prime Minister Amadou Ali. President Paul Biya said that the hostages, seized in May and July close to the Nigeria border, were safe. Boko Haram is seeking to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":55395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[14],"yoast_head":"\n