ABUJA, Nigeria — An Nigerian official says 62 Chibok schoolgirls
kidnapped three years ago by Boko Haram extremists in northern Nigeria
have been released, a government official said late today. Family
members said they were awaiting names and other information before
celebrating.
Nearly 200 of the schoolgirls had remained captive after the first
negotiated release of 21 girls in October. At the time, Nigeria’s
government said another group of 83 girls would be released “very soon.”
“Huge numbers,” the personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, tweeted late today, without giving details.
Many of the kidnapped girls were forced to marry the Islamic extremists
and became pregnant. Human rights advocates believe others could be
among the young girls who have been used to carry out suicide bombing
attacks.
A Nigerian official said that while some girls had been released by
Boko Haram they had not yet reached the Borno state capital of
Maiduguri. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they
were not authorized to speak to reporters.
The group representing the families of the girls said they were awaiting confirmation on how many had been released.
“Our hopes and expectations are high as we look forward to this news
being true and confirmed,” said Sesugh Akume with the #BringBackOurGirls
campaign.
The Nigerian government has denied that a ransom was paid in the
October release and that it freed some detained Boko Haram fighters in
exchange for the girls.
At the three-year anniversary of the kidnapping in April, the
government said negotiations had “gone quite far” but faced challenges.
The 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in northern Nigeria in
April 2014 are among thousands of people abducted by the Nigeria-based
Boko Haram over the years.
Buhari late last year announced Boko Haram had been “crushed,” but
the group continues to carry out attacks in northern Nigeria and
neighboring countries. Its insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people
and driven 2.6 million from their homes, with millions facing
starvation.
The Blade
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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