Almost two years after the abduction of 96 schoolgirls from the Federal Government College Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State, four of the remaining 11 girls in captivity have regained freedom.
the four girls – Bilha Musa, Faiza Ahmed, Rahma Abdullahi and Hafsa Murtala were released on Friday evening after months of negotiations between their parents and the bandits. The parents had spent six days in the forest as part of efforts to secure the release of the girls but only four were released while the remaining seven are still in captivity.
“It took six days of negotiations in the forest before four of the girls were released to us. We have seven more in captivity and two of the parents are still in the forest trying to secure their release,” the chairman of the parents’ forum, Malam Salim Kaoje, told our correspondent.
Kaoje said the girls were released around 4.30pm on Friday but arrived Yauri around 2.30am on Saturday and were immediately taken to the hospital for medical attention.
He confirmed that an undisclosed amount was paid for the release after the parents sold their properties and augmented the funds through crowd-funding.
FGC Birnin Yauri was attacked by bandits on June 17, 2021 with 96 of the students and teachers kidnapped from the federal government- owned mixed boarding school. Eleven of the students had remained in captivity despite huge sums of money being paid as ransom and prisoner swaps at different times.