When Rev. Mark was told that Boko Haram would release girls in a prisoner swap agreement with the Government of Nigeria, he refused to believe it. However, early news on Saturday confirmed the agreement in which 82 girls were released in exchange for five Boko Haram commanders in a deal that was mediated by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss authorities. The Reverend was anxious, like several other families, to meet his abducted daughters.
The news of the release was a joyful occasion for the anguished families whose daughters had been kidnapped by the militant group, Boko Haram, in 2014. 276 girls were kidnapped from their boarding school in the north-eastern Chibok province, Nigeria.
Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari, centre, meets with Chibok school girls recently freed from Nigeria Extremist captivity in Abuja, Nigeria on Sunday.
Regarded as one of the most organised attacks, the militants launched operations in 2009 and soon joined the Islamic State. The 8-year long insurgency has claimed over 20,000 people and driven 2.6 million out of their homes. It has also destabilised politics and security in the region.
The abduction drew international concern with various celebrities such as former First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyonce and Salma Hayek spearheading a campaign called “Bring Back Our Girls”. Muslim leaders, too, condemned the incident as being “un-Islamic”.
'Bring Back Our Girls' campaigners celebrate the release of the kidnapped Chibok school girls at the unity fountain in Abuja.
As many as 50 girls escaped in 2014 in a raid and an additional 21 girls were released in October last year after negotiations with the International Committee of the Red Cross . The new release comes after several months of negotiations and the release of five suspected Boko Haram militants in exchange for the freedom of the girls.
President Muhammada Buhari said he was “delighted” to meet the newly-freed girls and has promised to “personally oversee” their “rehabilitation”. These girls, like the ones released previously, will be held in custody in the capital of Abuja for medical attention and trauma counselling.
Actors Sylvester Stallone (C) and cast members of the film "The Expendables 3" hold placards which read "Bring back our girls" at the 67th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes in May, 2014.
This move of the Government has drawn criticism, with organisations such as the Amnesty International in Nigeria terming it a “publicity stunt”. “They will face a long and difficult process to rebuild their lives after the indescribable horror and trauma they have suffered at the hands of Boko Haram,” said Pernille Ironside, acting representative of UNICEF, Nigeria.
A still image from a video posted by Boko Haram on social media shows a girl who identified herself as Maina Yakubu said that she is from Chibok, as dozens of other girls the group said are school girls kidnapped in the town of Chibok in 2014, are seen in the background.
With the release of the 82 girls, the fate of an additional 113 who remain in captivity remains uncertain. Nigerian President Buhari’s commitment to their release though appreciated, is tentative as fears about his health have surfaced. In fact, soon after the release on Saturday, he announced that he would travel to London for medical treatment. This news shook the African nation as much as the release had delighted them.
( With inputs from AP)
