The 416 captives, all taken from Ngoshe village in Borno State, regained their freedom on Saturday, according to community representatives involved in efforts to secure their release.

Samaila Kaigama, president of the Borno South Youth Alliance (BOSYA), said the organization helped facilitate communication between the abductors and affected families and confirmed that all those kidnapped from Ngoshe had been released.

“We have secured the release of all the 416 women and children abducted from Ngoshe,” Kaigama told journalists.

The release was also confirmed by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in Nigeria’s Senate. However, neither Ndume nor BOSYA disclosed how the captives’ freedom was obtained.

Authorities have consistently maintained that the Nigerian government does not pay ransoms to secure the release of hostages. Nevertheless, security analysts and local observers have long argued that ransom payments frequently occur through various channels, including negotiations involving families, intermediaries and local actors.

The circumstances surrounding the latest release remain unclear, with neither government officials nor community mediators providing details about any negotiations that may have taken place.

The incident underscores the continuing threat posed by Boko Haram and other armed groups operating across Nigeria despite years of military campaigns against insurgents.

Ngoshe, located less than 10 kilometers from the border with Cameroon in the mountainous Gwoza area, lies within a region historically regarded as a stronghold of Boko Haram militants. The community has repeatedly been targeted during the insurgency.

Kidnapping has evolved into one of the most lucrative tactics employed by armed groups in Nigeria. Militants, criminal gangs commonly known as bandits and separatist organizations increasingly rely on abductions for financial gain, targeting villagers, students, travelers and local officials.

According to a report by Lagos-based security consultancy SBM Intelligence, ransom payments across Nigeria totaled approximately $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025, highlighting the scale of the country’s abduction crisis.

Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009 with the aim of overthrowing the Nigerian state and imposing its interpretation of Islamic rule. The conflict has since fractured into multiple armed factions and evolved into one of Africa’s longest-running security crises.

The violence has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions across northeastern Nigeria and neighboring countries, while recurring attacks and kidnappings continue to challenge efforts to stabilize the region.

De la Espriella, who has pledged a hard-line crackdown on criminal groups and has expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump, fell short of the 50% needed for an outright victory. Cepeda, an ally of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, campaigned on continuing efforts to negotiate peace agreements with armed groups.

The runoff is expected to become a referendum on Colombia’s security strategy, with voters choosing between tougher enforcement measures and the continuation of peace-focused policies amid rising violence and growing influence of criminal organizations.

The statement by Kataeb Hezbollah security chief Abu Mujahid Al-Assaf comes amid heightened tensions following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in late February, a conflict that triggered a series of drone and rocket attacks by factions operating under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against U.S. interests in the country.

Washington responded with strikes on facilities and bases linked to the groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah, killing dozens of fighters, according to the organization and regional media reports.

Since assuming office in mid-May, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has pledged to ensure that weapons remain exclusively in the hands of the state, a longstanding objective of successive Iraqi governments seeking to strengthen state authority and limit the influence of armed non-state actors.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Al-Assaf said “militant action is today a collective duty, and we will carry it out on behalf of the brothers who have decided to abandon it,” signaling that the group intends to continue its activities even as some allied factions move toward closer cooperation with state institutions.

While several Iran-backed factions have reportedly agreed to operate under official structures, Kataeb Hezbollah remains among the groups rejecting discussions on disarmament under what it characterizes as U.S. pressure.

Al-Assaf indicated that the organization was prepared to coordinate with other factions that no longer wished to maintain independent arsenals. He said Kataeb Hezbollah could supervise the transfer and storage of weapons and receive specialized systems, including cruise missiles, arguing that state agencies lacked personnel with the necessary expertise to manage such equipment.

The group has consistently linked any discussion of its weapons to the continued presence of foreign troops in Iraq. Kataeb Hezbollah maintains that it will not consider disarmament while international forces remain deployed in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region as part of the U.S.-led coalition established in 2014 to combat Islamic State militants.

The coalition is scheduled to conclude its mission in the Kurdistan region by September, a timeline that has become a key reference point in Iraq’s debate over the future role of armed factions and the country’s security architecture.

In a statement, Hezbollah said its leader, Naim Qassem, received a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressing that Tehran would continue backing what it described as movements seeking “justice and freedom,” with Hezbollah identified as a principal ally.

The group said the communication reflected Iran’s determination to maintain political and strategic support for Hezbollah despite ongoing regional tensions and efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict between Washington and Tehran.

According to Hezbollah, Iran’s most recent proposal, reportedly conveyed through Pakistani mediators, seeks to secure a “permanent and stable” conclusion to the war and specifically calls for Lebanon to be included in any ceasefire framework.

The statement did not provide additional details on the contents of the proposal or indicate whether the United States, Israel, or other parties involved in regional diplomacy had responded to the initiative.
Hezbollah has long been one of Iran’s closest regional allies, receiving political, financial and military support from Tehran.

The group plays a significant role in Lebanon’s political landscape while also maintaining an armed wing that has been involved in conflicts across the region.

The remarks come amid intensified diplomatic efforts aimed at containing wider regional instability and preventing hostilities from expanding across multiple fronts in the Middle East.

Residents fleeing clashes between rival armed groups gathered on Monday near routes leading to Toussaint Louverture International Airport after gunmen attacked neighborhoods, burned homes and expanded fighting across parts of Port-au-Prince, according to residents and local authorities.

Monique Verdieux, 56, said she escaped after armed men set houses ablaze in her neighborhood, leaving her separated from relatives who fled in different directions.“I am now sleeping in the street,” Verdieux said, adding that returning home was too dangerous.

The latest violence underscores the deepening collapse of public security in Haiti, where gangs have steadily expanded territorial control since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Authorities estimate criminal groups now control more than 90% of Port-au-Prince, while kidnappings, looting and sexual violence have spread beyond the capital into rural regions.

Haiti has remained without an elected president since Moïse was killed at his private residence, contributing to a prolonged political vacuum and weakening state institutions.Security concerns near the airport have also alarmed major businesses operating in the country.

Haitian rum producer Rhum Barbancourt and two of the nation’s largest bottling companies warned in a joint statement on Sunday that worsening insecurity and damaged roads around the airport were hampering patrols by security forces and disrupting commercial activity.

“The government’s response has been largely insufficient,” the companies said, adding that deteriorating road conditions near the airport had further undermined efforts to secure the area.Operations at the airport are now severely restricted, according to the statement.

The violence has intensified despite the gradual deployment of an international security mission backed by the United Nations. In April, the first contingent of foreign troops linked to the mission arrived in Haiti to support local police in combating armed groups.

The U.N. Security Council approved plans in September for a multinational force of 5,550 personnel, although the full contingent has yet to be deployed.

Troops from Chad are among those reported to have arrived in the country.According to the International Organization for Migration, gang violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people across Haiti.

The agency said roughly 200,000 displaced people are living in overcrowded and underfunded shelters in the capital.

The attack targeted a unit serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon as it was traveling to an outpost isolated by ongoing hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, according to UN officials.

In a statement, Security Council members denounced the assault “in the strongest terms” and reaffirmed their full support for UNIFIL operations in the region. The council did not assign responsibility, though France has blamed Hezbollah for the attack.

The incident occurred on Saturday amid heightened tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, where clashes have intensified in recent weeks. UNIFIL peacekeepers are mandated to monitor hostilities and support stability in southern Lebanon.

French authorities have not released further operational details about the ambush, while the United Nations has called for accountability and the protection of peacekeeping personnel under international law.

The attack underscores growing risks faced by UN forces operating in volatile regions conflict zones, as diplomatic efforts continue to prevent further escalation in Lebanon.

Major General Diodato Abagnara, commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), paid tribute to Florian Montorio during a ceremony at Beirut airport ahead of the repatriation of his remains to France.Montorio, 39, was killed on Sunday when a UNIFIL patrol clearing explosive ordnance came under small-arms fire near Ghanduriyah in southern Lebanon.

Three other peacekeepers were wounded, including two seriously, according to UNIFIL.“We are here to honour you,” Abagnara said during the ceremony, praising the soldier’s service and sacrifice and emphasizing that his contribution would endure through the mission’s ongoing work.

UNIFIL said the patrol had been attempting to restore access to isolated positions when it was targeted by what it described as non-state actors. The group Hezbollah has been alleged to be involved. The mission has launched an internal investigation and urged Lebanese authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible.

The ceremony was attended by senior officials including France’s ambassador to Lebanon, Hervé Magro, and UNIFIL Chief of Staff Paul Sanzey, who highlighted France’s longstanding role in the peacekeeping mission.

France has been a key contributor to UNIFIL since its establishment in 1978, deploying troops for patrols, demining operations and support to Lebanese armed forces in the volatile south region.Montorio was posthumously awarded UN and Lebanese Army medals in recognition of his service.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters.The incident underscores ongoing risks faced by peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, where tensions persist despite the absence of large-scale hostilities in recent years.

In a written statement broadcast on Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television, Qassem said the group would not accept a return to prior arrangements and called on Lebanese officials to take a firmer stance in upcoming talks.

His remarks followed Israeli strikes earlier this week that he described as “bloody criminality,” referring to attacks on Wednesday that reportedly killed more than 300 people in Lebanon.

The comments come as Beirut and Tel Aviv are preparing to begin negotiations in the United States, part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to address escalating tensions between the two countries.