700 Boko Haram captives have escaped -- Nigerian army

ABUJA - 1 January 2018: More than 700 people held by Boko Haram militants in the north-east of the country have escaped captivity, the Nigerian army was quoted as saying by the BBC News on Monday.

An army spokesperson said they had fled several islands in Lake Chad and arrived in the town of Monguno, in Borno state.

There has been no independent verification of the army's claim.

In his New Year address, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said the group had been "beaten".

Boko Haram terrorism group had conducted most of the terror attacks in Nigeria for years, which killed more than 20,000 people and displaced more than two million people.