How The Nigerian Govt Secured The Release Of Another 82 Chibok Girls

Details on how the Nigerian government were able to secure the release of another 82 girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, on Saturday has began to emerge.

Although, the presidency in a statement late Saturday confirmed that the release of the 82 girls in exchange for some Boko Haram prisoners, it did not state the number of prisoners swapped for the girls.

A report by SaharaReporters however indicates that the deal involved the Federal Government’s release of two senior Boko Haram commanders who had been in detention by the Nigerian security services.

It also quoted a military source as saying that the Nigerian government paid Boko Haram a significant amount in foreign currencies in addition to releasing two of the insurgent group’s detainees.

21 of the girls were in October 2016 released in a similar agreement the Nigerian struck with Boko Haram. Two others were found wandering out of the sight of their abductors last year.

A combined team of military and Red Cross negotiators the report said flew the two detained Islamist commanders to Banki town in Borno State where they were handed over to a team of Boko Haram representatives. The Boko Haram team had, in turn, brought the 82 Chibok girls to the outskirts of Banki where a heavy contingent of Nigerian troops took custody of them.

The report said the negotiators included operatives from military intelligence as well as officials of the Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria’s secret police.

Confirming the development, a resident of Banki told said that he and other members of the town were a bit apprehensive when they saw two helicopters land in the town. “We were not sure why the helicopters were landing until we saw two men handcuffed and driven away in a military convoy and also the Chibok girls driven into town under heavy military escort,” said Sani Usman.

The Nigerian government has not released the names of the 82 girls released, but the presidency in a statement the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed that the girls will be flown to Abuja today were President Muhammadu Buhari was scheduled to formally receive them.