Boko Haram Frees 82 Abducted Chibok Girls

Hostages released in Banki Town Security sources confirm releaseBBOG: our hopes, expectations highOne thousand, one hundred and eighteen days after their abduction by terror sect Boko Haram, freedom yesterday came the way of 82 more of the Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, students.The girls were among the 227 kidnapped from their dormitory on the night of April 14, 2014.They were let go by their abductors after another lengthy round of negotiations with the federal government, seven months after the release of the first batch of the kidnapped girls.

Twenty-one were in that first batch set free in October last year.The 82 girls were released at Banki at the Nigeria/Cameroun border and are currently in the custody of security agencies and 152 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in the town.

A security source confirmed the release, saying: "more Chibok girls have regained their freedom from the insurgents. I think about 82 of them.

"Some foreign news agencies put the figure of the released girls at 50.Security sources said last night that they will be flown to Maiduguri today before being relocated by the military and security agencies for de-briefing and rehabilitation.A source, speaking on the development said: "It is difficult to tell you how the freedom was secured because it was a covert or intelligence operation.

"All I can say is that the latest negotiation was well-protected to avoid leaks which could jeopardize the release of the girls."Actually when the 21 Chibok girls were released in October 2016, another batch of 56 was expected to follow but the leakage made the insurgents to change their mind.

This time around, all the parties to the agreement strictly kept to the terms without leaks."The source confirmed that the girls were "set free in Banki town, which is a border town with Cameroon and Chad.

In fact, on both sides of Banki, you might not know the difference between Nigerians and Cameroonians. This shows that the insurgents are still operating not only in Sambisa but some border villages.

"Banki also hosts an international cattle market. It cannot be ruled out as a strategic supply route for the insurgents.

"Asked which of the factions of Boko Haram granted freedom to the girls, the source added: "I cannot say now."Highly placed military sources have confirmed the release of a group of Chibok school girls abducted three years ago by the Boko Haram Terrorists.

The source however could not put a figure to the number of...

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