BOKO HARAM FREES 82 CHIBOK SCHOOL GIRLS

82 Chibok school girls who were abducted in late April 2014 have reportedly been released. A Statement by the presidency indicates that the release of 82 abducted school girls came after further negotiations between Boko Haram and the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

The Statement revealed that the girls were freed in exchange with some Boko Haram prisoners but did not indicate the number of the prisoners.

However the terms of agreement that led to the release of the Chibok school girls are yet to be ascertained. This is the second successful negotiation by the Buhari led government for the release of some of the abducted school girls. Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to President, Alhaji Abba Kyari received the freed Chibok girls on Sunday in Abuja.

The Nigerian Government commended the International Committee of the Red Cross, France and Switzerland for their assistance in securing the release of the Missing school girls. Military sources revealed that the girls would be debriefed and undergo psychological medical tests before being reunited with their families. About 276 Chibok school girls between the ages of 16 and 18 were kidnapped mid April, 2014 by Boko Haram militants, a radical Islamic group that has killed many people and displaced over two million persons in the North eastern part of Nigeria.

Some of the girls had at different times escaped from the captivity of the militants – some of them returning with pregnancy. The kidnap of the girls and the long time taken in securing their freedom sparked wide spread reactions across the world, with the group, “BringBackOurGirls” BBOG, as a vocal lead in the agitation for the release of the girls.