Alice Loksha, a Nigerian nurse and UNICEF health worker, has escaped from the clutches of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after six years in captivity. Loksha, who was abducted during a deadly raid on March 1, 2018, managed to flee a jihadist camp on Dogon Chukwu island in Lake Chad on October 24, 2024.
Loksha was kidnapped alongside two Nigerian midwives working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who were later executed. Loksha, spared due to her Christian faith, was forced into two marriages with ISWAP commanders during her captivity, bearing a child with the first. Her escape was facilitated by Nigerian troops in Geidam, Yobe State, where she sought refuge five days later.
The Nigerian military presented Loksha and another escapee, Faina Ali Kelawos, at a press briefing in Maiduguri. Loksha’s reintegration is complicated by her pre-capture family life, as her husband has since remarried, and the stigma her child may face upon return.
ISWAP, an offshoot of Boko Haram since 2016, has conducted numerous mass kidnappings and forced marriages. The insurgency has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced millions across Nigeria and neighboring countries. Loksha’s ordeal highlights the ongoing humanitarian and security crises in the region.
Efforts are underway to address her and her child’s future, as agencies work to mitigate stigma and ensure their safe reintegration.
