The release of the 35 fishermen took place during the night of Sunday, 28 June to Monday, 29 June 2026.
The fishermen had been held captive for several days by elements of the Boko Haram Islamist sect. Their freedom was secured after a ransom was paid. The families of the 35 hostages handed over a sum of 2.7 million FCFA.
In their first testimonies, the fishermen reported being detained in the Filin Bado area, one of the hundreds of islands on Lake Chad. With the demand for ransom payments becoming a common tactic, bandits and terrorists are increasingly resorting to kidnappings.
