At least 30,000 hostages kidnapped by the Boko Haram have been freed by soldiers, the defence minister, Mansur Dan Ali, said on Monday.

Mr. Ali stated this in Maiduguri at a Special Town Hall meeting organised for the military and security agencies.

The statement of Mr. Ali and other officials who spoke at the event were reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.

The retired brigadier general also reiterated the federal government’s commitment to promoting the welfare of soldiers battling the insurgents.

Also speaking, the minister of interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, said the Boko Haram has been completely decimated, its structure degraded and its leadership dismantled.

Earlier, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said the resumption of flights, bubbling nightlife, and football matches in Maiduguri are signs that normalcy has returned to the Borno capital.

Details later…