Late Saturday, May 6, 2017, the world was greeted with the news of the return of 82 Chibok schoolgirls where kidnapped from their school domintory in April 2014 were freed by the Islamist terrorist group.
According to a statement from the Nigerian presidency, the freedom of the schoolgirls was secured through a prisoner swap with Boko Haram and the process was personally overseen by the country’s ailing President Muhammadu Buhari.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is pleased to announce that negotiations to release more of the #ChibokGirls have yielded results,” Garba Shehu, a spokesperson for President Buhari, revealed on Facebook on Saturday.
“Today, 82 more #ChibokGirls were released. After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities.
“The president has received detailed briefings from the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS) at every stage of the negotiations/operation.”
Shehu also revealed that the released schoolgirls would be received by Buhari in Abuja on Sunday, May 7, 2017.
“President Muhammadu Buhari expresses his deep gratitude to all who played a part in ensuring the success of this operation, as follows: Security agencies, the military, the Government of Switzerland, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and local and international NGOs,” the statement said.
This news comes as the nation is fixated on the failing health of President Muhammadu Buhari who disclosed weeks ago that he was “personally in touch with Boko Haram” to secure the release of the Chibok schoolgirls.
The first batch of 21 were freed last October in a cash swap that officials continue to deny. Two other girls walked into freedom on their own, making grand total of 105 girls freed from the clutches of Boko Haram.
