Boko Haram Islamists who kidnapped 110 schoolgirls in Dapchi, northeast Nigeria, just over a month ago have so far returned 104 of the students to the town, the government said on Wednesday. Some of those released said the six girls still missing included five who died at the start of the kidnap and one Christian who the assailants said would be held until she converted to Islam.
Information Minister Lai Mohammed told reporters in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, that apart from "104 Dapchi schoolgirls, one other girl and a boy were freed by insurgents in the early hours of Wednesday." He said all the 106 persons were freed "unconditionally, contrary to reports in a section of the media that ransom was paid and that some insurgents were swapped for the freed persons".
The girls were later handed over to a four-member federal government, including the minister and immediately airlifted to Abuja aboard a military transport plane. The parents of one of the schoolgirls, Kachalla Bukar, said Boko Haram militants shook hands and took pictures with them before leaving. Another parent, Alhaji Deri, said the remote town in Yobe state was "crowded with people celebrating" as word spread of the return of the girls.
Fatima Gremah, 13, who was among those released, told reporters: "Boko Haram said we were lucky we were young and also Muslims. "One of us who is a Christian has been left behind. They said they would keep her until she converted.
"If she converts, they will release her. She is the only one among us left behind." Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said last week the government had "chosen negotiation" to secure the return of the Dapchi girls rather than use military force. Mohammed had earlier said their release was the result of "back-channel efforts" with the help of "some friends of the country", without elaborating.