The Nigerian military is insisting that it is yet to conclude the identification and profiling of the 293 women and girls rescued from Sambisa forest, just as it revealed that another 160 women and children were rescued Wednesday from the Boko Haram enclave where they were held captive in “severe and inhuman conditions”.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who spoke at a joint press conference with the spokespersons of the army, navy and air force, said what was uppermost for the military was the profiling of the freed hostages and to finish the job of liberating the entire Sambisa forest from the siege of Boko Haram terrorists.
“The true identity of some of the rescued women and girls are yet to be ascertained. At the moment, what is uppermost and of priority is their movement to a conducive place where they are now undergoing profiling to verify their true identity, where they come from, how they found themselves in the forest, and so on,” he said.
He confirmed that more hostages were still being rescued from the forest, adding that “until such comprehensive profiling is done, nobody can confirm whether they are among the Chibok girls or not”.
The press were reliably informed by a military source that over 160 women and children were rescued on Wednesday, bringing the total number of rescued hostages to 453.
“In addition to the 293 women and girls initially rescued, another 60 women and 100 children were freed yesterday (Wednesday) and we learnt that more are being freed as the terrorists are decimated and on the run,” the source said.
The source further explained that despite the fact that most of the 293 women and girls were from Gumsiri village in Damboa Local Government Area (LGA), as confirmed by the Borno State Government, some of the women and girls were yet to be identified.
However, a female hostage and a soldier were killed during the rescue operation at Sambisa forest, the source said, adding that many of those kidnapped had undergone psychological trauma and indoctrination.
Olukolade at the briefing stressed that the military was more interested in releasing all the hostages no matter where they came from, including the Chibok girls.
“Whoever they may be, the important thing is that Nigerians held captive under very severe and inhuman condition have been freed by our gallant troops.
“The joy and sense of hope being expressed by many Nigerians on hearing about the rescue operation is therefore understandable.
“We would like to reassure them that the momentum of this operation will be sustained until Sambisa forest is comprehensively cleaned out and all Nigerians held captive within the bowels of the forest are rescued. 
"There is great hope for the recovery of more hostages of the terrorists,” he explained.
He also revealed that the well-coordinated operation in Sambisa forest was yielding results, as the troops in the last few days, apart from rescuing the 293 women and children, and an additional number of hostages, had captured over 13 terrorist camps including the notorious Tokumbere camp.
“Other camps overrun and destroyed by troops include Wulari Bukar, Gangala, Anguwar Bakwai, Jigide, Kotorima, Lagura Bello and Lagina Fulani, among others,” he stated.
In addition, the defence spokesman said several field commanders and foot soldiers of the terrorist group had lost their lives, “some armoured personnel carriers, Buffalo vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft guns, a truck and several Hilux vehicles were destroyed by troops”.
Also recovered from the fleeing terrorists, he revealed, were a number of anti-aircraft guns, general purpose machine guns, rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and several AK 47 rifles.
“Unfortunately, we lost one soldier in the course of the operation while 10 others have so far been wounded,” he said.
He told reporters at the briefing that the dislodged and disorganised terrorists were on the run to different directions “and running helter-skelter in the expansive forest”.
“There is no longer any respite or sanctuary for them; they will be pursued and tracked down, not minding the daunting challenges in the mission including hundreds of landmines and difficult terrain of the Sambisa forest.
“It should be noted however that the essence of this operation is not to kill everybody in sight. We encourage any of the combatants who are desirous to surrender to come out, as the forest will no more be tenable as a haven for their activities.
“In the same vein, innocent civilians among those in flight are also encouraged to report themselves to the troops.  We will continue to treat civilians in the most professional and humane way,” he said.
Also speaking on the military operations in Sambisa, the Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah, promised yesterday that more Boko Haram camps would be invaded, members of the sect captured and their camps decimated.
He also commended the gallantry of officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Minimah, who spoke to journalists at the commissioning of the newly refurbished 81 Division Officers’ Mess built by the General Officer Commanding, Major General Tamunomeibi Dibi, also spoke on the missing Chibok schoolgirls.
“It is our wish that we find them. It was just one of the camps that was destroyed and we found that number of Nigerians.
“I am sure that as we edge further into the forest, we will begin to capture more camps. We pray that we rescue more people. Every Nigerian looks forward to this.
“Never again will Nigeria walk this path where insurgency and terrorism will come to redefine our oneness and unity as a nation and bring the Nigerian Army to the depths that it sank,” he said.
Minimah expressed gratitude to President Goodluck Jonathan for his unwavering support for the Nigerian Army, adding that in various ways; particularly his morale-boosting visits to the North-east operational theatre, the president demonstrated unique leadership and solidarity.
The president also promised to completely quash the insurgency, stating yesterday that he would do all within his powers to ensure that all of Nigerian territory still held by Boko Haram is totally liberated before May 29.
The president spoke when he received a delegation of Heads of Customs from the West and Central African Region of the World Customs Organisation led by the Secretary-General of the organisation, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya.
In a statement by his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan said he was determined to hand over a country completely free of terrorist strongholds to the President-elect Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the president, the ongoing military operations in the North-east had already recorded huge successes, with two states completely free from the control of terrorists, while operations in the third state was nearing conclusion.
“We can now say two states are completely free from terrorist control, while in the third state, it is only in one local government area that they are still present. That is in the Sambisa forest,” he said.
He noted that the military had already moved into the Sambisa forest to seize the remaining camps of the terrorists.
Jonathan added that the recent rescue of about 300 abducted girls and women was further evidence of the success being achieved in the ongoing operations.
On his decision to concede victory to Buhari before all the results of the presidential elections were announced, Jonathan said the elections were approached from a nationalistic point of view.
“Our elections should be about where Nigeria is going. If Nigeria is moving forward, it is for the good of all Nigerians. My children and grandchildren will live and grow in this country and contribute to it.
“I always tell my colleagues to leave office when their time is up. We are trying to encourage African leaders not to remain in power as kings until death’’ the president said.
Mikuriya commended Jonathan for supporting the reform of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
He noted that other African countries had already started emulating the vision, strategy and migration to the new technology and result-oriented training of officers that were captured in Nigeria’s reforms for the customs service.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, has welcomed the release of over 200 females from captivity by Boko Haram and called for the immediate release of all abducted girls, ahead of his scheduled meeting with Buhari yesterday on the missing Chibok schoolgirls.
In a statement issued Wednesday by the UN News Centre, Brown said: “It is time to end the nightmare.”
“I will talk to President-elect Buhari tomorrow (yesterday) about how the international community can provide air and military help to free the girls. And I will also offer help for safe schools which allow girls to participate in education, free of fear,” he added.
“For a year families have not known whether their daughters are dead or alive, married off, sold off or violated as a result of their captivity,” the Global Education envoy emphasised.
“Now that some girls have been released we want all girls released. And we want them home with their families in days - not months or years,” Brown urged.
Since Boko Haram began targeting schools and children, hundreds of thousands of children have been displaced from their homes and deprived of their rights to live and grow up in safety and peace.
“We need more secure, better prepared, safe schools to make girls and parents know everything is being done to protect them,” Brown stressed.
“Today 10 million children don’t go to school in Nigeria,” Brown added. “By creating safe schools and communities where girls are free of fear we can get every child into school and learning.”
According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 300 schools were damaged or destroyed and at least 196 teachers and 314 schoolchildren killed by the end of 2014 as a result of the conflict in North-east Nigeria between Boko Haram and military forces.