Nigerian forces free more than 180 hostages, say police

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian police say that at least 187 people including babies have been freed in the country’s troubled north, one of the country’s largest liberations of kidnap victims. Zamfara state police spokesman Mohammed Shehu issued a statement saying that security forces rescued the hostages from a forest where they had been held for many weeks. He said they were released “unconditionally,” indicating that no ransoms were paid. Shehu said the hostages in Zamfara were freed on Thursday as a result of “extensive search and rescue operations,” and were helped by sweeping security measures including a shutdown of mobile phone networks and restrictions on gatherings and movements in Zamfara state.