A faction of Boko Haram sect in Nigeria has released another 82 Chibok school girls abducted in 2014, a government source disclosed.
Yesterday’s release was the outcome of ongoing negotiations with Boko Haram on the release of the girls captured in April 2014. The girls were released in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by authorities, said a presidential spokesman. So far out of 195 of the girls who remained in captivity, 82 of the schoolgirls have been released to the Nigerian military after thorough swaping negotiation.
The Nigerian government in October 2016 struck an agreement with Boko Haram under which 21 of the schoolgirls were released. Two others were found wandering out of the sight of their abductors last year.
According to a reliable source, the negotiators included operatives from military intelligence as well as officials of the Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria’s secret police, the Red Cross and Swiss government.
Sources disclosed yesterday that the girls were handed to Nigerian officials by the Shekau-led faction, which operates around the Banki axis. It was further disclosed that even though the 82 girls’ names have not yet been released, the girls would be flown first to Maiduguri for proper identification and data collection before heading to Abuja today.
A resident of Banki told Sahara Reporters correspondent that he and other members of the town were a bit apprehensive when they saw two helicopters land in the town.
“We were not sure why the helicopters were landing until we saw two men handcuffed and driven away in a military convoy and also the Chibok girls driven into town under heavy military escort,” said Sani Usman.
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