According to Borno State government, the release of the female corps member was as a result coordinated effort of Ahmed Salkida, a journalist, with access to Boko Haram leaders and security agencies.

The lady was handed over to Borno Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur at the Government House, Maiduguri on Thursday afternoon.

The GOC 7 Div Brigader General Abdulmalik Biu, alongside the State Director of the DSS presented the corps member to the state government.

The statement by the state government reads:

“A serving corps member, kidnapped in January 2019 by one of the terror groups in the North East, Halima Uwani Umar has been freed.

“Her freedom came as a result of a joint coordinated engagement involving key stakeholders.

“It is an outcome of a preliminary level negotiation involving the state government, the Kalthum Foundation for Peace, a non- governmental organisation with intermediary negotiation with the leadership of the terror group handled by a prominent investigative journalist with critical access.

“The state government states that the step is in line with its desire to work with strategic partners to open lines of communication with the insurgents as a means of freeing several non- combatant captives of the terror groups.

“The strategic interventionist team was expanded to use every necessary tools and good spirited individuals to engage the insurgents in noncombatant ways as a means of de-escalation framework that will eventually result in freeing more captives and safe return of displaced persons in the state.

“The insurgents released Ms Umar as a sign of goodwill to commit to a new process of resolving the conflicts in the region. The state government, the military, the DSS played vital roles deploying professional field experience and strategic cover for the process. The state government shall continually bring the media up to speed as may be necessary.

“We, as a government, are committed to working with the Federal organs of security as well as non- governmental organisations and well- meaning citizens to pursue with vigour the safe return of captives, displaced persons and vulnerable population of our great state”.