Ransom paid: Boko Haram frees 35 kidnapped fishermen in Cameroon’s Extreme North

The release of the 35 fishermen took place during the night from Sunday 28 to Monday 29 June 2026.

The 35 fishermen had been abducted days earlier by Boko Haram militants in the Lake Chad region. Their families paid a ransom of 2.7 million CFA francs to secure their freedom.

According to initial testimonies from the freed men, they were detained on Filin Bado, one of the hundreds of islands that dot Lake Chad. The area has become a stronghold for the Islamist group.

Ransom demands are driving an increase in abductions by armed groups in the region, as bandits and terrorists exploit the vulnerability of local communities.