The group of Nigerian schoolgirls who were abducted from their boarding school on Friday, February 26th, have officially been released from captivity as of March 2nd, 2021. No further details were provided regarding why the girls were eventually released, and the Nigerian government has denied claims that they had paid ransom for the girls’ release.
Yusuf Idris, spokesman for governor Bello Matawalle, revealed that the initial number of girls believed to be kidnapped 317, was actually incorrect, and that the true number of abducted girls was 279, all of which have been released. He further confirmed that the girls are safe and healthy, with the exception of some feet injuries on some of the girls.
Cover image by Conflict & Development at Texas A&M on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)