Reports indicate that 85 Nigerians, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram earlier this week, have been rescued by Chadian troops.
An unnamed senior Nigerian security official told AFP that the troops intercepted a convoy with gunmen and the villagers during a routine check, but neither Nigeria nor Chad have confirmed the rescue.
"The convoy being led by six Boko Haram gunmen was stopped on the Chadian part of the border along Lake Chad for routine checks and the huge number of people in the convoy raised suspicion," the official said.
The villagers were abducted from Doron Baga, on the shores of Lake Chad, on Sunday, but due to the region’s poor communication links, the news took days to emerge.