UNICEF: Boko Haram has kidnapped more than 1000 children in Nigeria

By Stephanie Busari, CNN

Updated 1704 GMT (0104 HKT) April 13, 2018

Under Operation "Lafiya Dole" -- meaning "peace by any means" in Hausa -- the Nigerian army is working under intense scrutiny to locate and return the stolen Chibok girls to their parents.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
Under Operation "Lafiya Dole" -- meaning "peace by any means" in Hausa -- the Nigerian army is working under intense scrutiny to locate and return the stolen Chibok girls to their parents.
Hide Caption
1 of 10
Boko Haram's violent footprint is evident across the vast expanse of Nigeria's northeast, where village after village has been left devastated by the group's fighters.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
Boko Haram's violent footprint is evident across the vast expanse of Nigeria's northeast, where village after village has been left devastated by the group's fighters.
Hide Caption
2 of 10
What Boko Haram couldn't loot, it burned to the ground. To this day, people remain afraid to return home.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
What Boko Haram couldn't loot, it burned to the ground. To this day, people remain afraid to return home.
Hide Caption
3 of 10
Frequent attacks from Islamic insurgents have prompted residents to flee their villages and head to Maidugiri where it is, to an extent, safer.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
Frequent attacks from Islamic insurgents have prompted residents to flee their villages and head to Maidugiri where it is, to an extent, safer.
Hide Caption
4 of 10
The city of Maidugiri is at the heart of the military's campaign. Something of a safe haven for many fleeing Boko Haram, it has become an oasis in northeastern Nigeria, where around 2.5 million displaced people now reside.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
The city of Maidugiri is at the heart of the military's campaign. Something of a safe haven for many fleeing Boko Haram, it has become an oasis in northeastern Nigeria, where around 2.5 million displaced people now reside.
Hide Caption
5 of 10
The region's soft sand is ideal for hiding improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. This means the military must travel in heavily armored convoys with mine-proof trucks providing protection from the front.
Photos: Penetrating Boko Haram's stronghold: The Sambisa Forest
The region's soft sand is ideal for hiding improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. This means the military must travel in heavily armored convoys with mine-proof trucks providing protection from the front.
Hide Caption
6 of 10