Euronews gained first-hand experience of the fight against Boko Haram when our correspondent, Luis Carballo, joined African coalition forces in northern Nigeria.<br /><br /> Liberation of Malam Fatori<br /><br /> He witnessed what remains of Malam Fatori. Lying on the border with Niger, it is the latest Nigerian village to be liberated from the militant group. <br /><br /> Boko Haram had control of Malam Fatori from November 2014 to March 31, 2015, when joint forces from Chad and Niger drove out the Islamists.<br /><br /> The Chadian army speaker says the village is strategically important as Boko Haram was using it as a base from which to direct attacks north into Niger and east, towards Lake Chad.<br /><br /> Its liberation represents a victory for the coalition forces, but the militants didn’t leave without a fight, as one woman told euronews.<br /><br /> “When Boko Haram arrived five months ago, we left the town and hid in the forest for a while. And then we came back,” she said. “Boko Haram seized young women and forced them to marry thei
