By: Felix Ikpotor
The Presidency Thursday, confirmed that twenty-one of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been freed.
“It is confirmed that 21 of the missing Chibok Girls have been released and are in the custody of the Department of State Services,” said Garba Shehu, Special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, via his verified Twitter account.
“The release of the girls, in a limited number is the outcome of negotiations between the administration and the Boko Haram brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government. The negotiations will continue,” he added.
18 of 21 freed victims reportedly pregnant
Indications have emerged that majority of the twenty-one Chibok girls freed on Thursday may be pregnant.
Sources say that though it’s difficult to ascertain just by mere observation, officials at the Air Force hospital had hinted that many of the girls returned with pregnancy.
The source estimated that ”at least eighteen of the twenty-one of are pregnant.”
Boko Haram Commander reveals why they released the girls
Meanwhile, a Boko Haram commander has revealed that the release of the first batch of Chibok girls involved a prisoner swap of detained Boko Haram militants.
Sahara Reporters, the online medium who was among the first to break the news cannot be ascertain the number and names of Boko haram militants used in the swap deal.
Also, the DSS Boss, Malam Lawal Daura also wants the girls to have some rest, with all of them very tired coming out of the process before he hands them over to the Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo
The President welcomed the release of the girls but cautioned Nigerians to be mindful of the fact that more than 30,000 fellow citizens were killed via terrorism.
We have always known the capacity of our government – BBOG
In the mean time, the Bring Back Our Girls Group, BBOG, has reacted to the release of the twenty-one Chibok school girls by the Boko Haram group.
Recall that Boko Haram insurgents group had in 2014 abducted over 200 girls from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.
But the group had on Thursday, dropped off 21 of the girls at the Banki area of the state and it was learnt that the girls were picked up by military helicopter.
Reacting to the new development, the BBOG group in a statement signed by its leader, former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili and the co-convener, Aisha Yesufu, said, “We welcome reports from the Presidential Spokesperson, Garba Shehu, of the negotiated release of 21 of our abducted #ChibokGirls today.
“This wonderful development confirms what we have always known about the capacity of our government to rescue our #ChibokGirls.
“While awaiting further details, we take this opportunity to salute the work of our security services at the front lines – the commitment, resilience and tireless efforts of our members of the Multi-national Joint Task Force and the civilian JTF.
“We also thank the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Swiss government and all negotiators involved in securing the release.
“Following this development, we trust that our government will continue to work to keep the safety, security, and well-being of the other girls a high priority.
