The federal government has confirmed that a total of 76 out of 110 abducted students who were abducted 19 Feb. 2018 were released in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to the presidency, the release is as a result of the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to all security agencies to do everything possible to save the nation from national disgrace.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the 76 are those who have been documented so far, adding that the release of the abducted students is ongoing.
He said the girls were released around 3 a.m. through back-channel efforts and with the help of some friends of the country, and that it
was unconditional.
”For the release to work, the government had a clear understanding that violence and confrontation would not be the way out as it could
endanger the lives of the girls, hence a non-violent approach was the preferred option.
”Within the period when the girls were being brought back, operational pause was observed in certain areas to ensure free passage
and also that lives were not lost,” Alhaji Mohammed said.
He said the number of the freed girls would be updated after the remaining ones have been documented, especially because the girls were
not handed over to anyone but dropped off in Dapchi
