On the Monday of April 14, 2014, The Boko Haram Terrorists kidnapped 270 girls from the Chibok Government Secondary School in Nigeria. On Oct. 16, twenty-one of the girls taken were reunited with their families.
It is unclear how the girls were freed. According to two Nigerian Military Officers, the government traded four Boko Haram members captured, for twenty-one of the girls. However, the minister of Nigerian information and culture, Lai Mohammed stated, “Please note that this is not a swap. It is a release, the product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides. We see this as a credible first step in the eventual release of all the Chibok girls in captivity.” In addition, Nigerian negotiators claims that the Swiss Government paid the ransom for the Nigerian government.
No matter how the girls were released, what matters is they have liberation. Many parents and relatives jumped for joy as the news broke that some girls were released. Lawan Zanna is the father of one of the abducted girls. Not knowing if his daughter was one of the twenty-one girls granted liberation, he said, many of the parents, including himself are “very happy hearing that they have released our daughters. All are our daughters”.
With the Boko Haram Terrorists being one of the most dangerous terrorist organizations, Nigeria is forced to tread very lightly when dealing with such a ruthless group. “We want to ensure that we bring these girls back alive,” said Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. “At the same time we, of course, balance this against the overall safety and security of the country.” In August
The girls were taken during their exam time. In August of this year, Boko Haram released a video showing lifeless bodies of some of the abducted girls killed by Nigerian Airstrikes. One of the girls was found by a vigilante group right before they ambushed a Boko Haram camp in May wandering in the forest.
One of the girls freed was allowed to bring her 20-month-old son she birthed in captivity with her. Some girls are believed to have passed away due to malnourishment, some of the girls physically failing, and others are believed to have been married off. As of now, an estimated 170 girls are still in captivity.
Shortly after the massive abduction, a campaign began internationally, with strong urges for the Nigerian government to get the girls back safely and in a timely fashion. A hashtag #BringBackOurGirls took the Internet by storm, along with the support from Michelle Obama.
Countries including United States, France, Canada, and China have made/making efforts to help bring back the girls safely and alive.
