Photo by Yaroh Dauda
In May, 82 of the Chibok girls that were kidnapped by Boko Haram were released by their kidnappers.
Per CNN, “Eighty-two Chibok schoolgirls have been released after negotiations between the terrorist group Boko Haram and the Nigerian government, the President’s office said.”
One father was skeptical of the news of their release because there had been countless times in which the news had floated around about an imminent release but nothing happened.
The New York Times explains, “The father of two girls kidnapped by Boko Haram was suspicious when friends told him that dozens of girls had been freed, because he had heard similar rumors countless times during the three years the schoolchildren have been missing.”
It is believed that 276 girls were kidnapped in the middle of the night in 2014.
CNN reports, “They are believed to be among the 276 girls, ages 16 to 18, forced from their beds by Boko Haram militants in the middle of the night in April 2014. The kidnapping from a boarding school in the town of Chibok sparked global outrage and the social media movement #BringBackOurGirls.”
The release process started several months before. The government of Switzerland and Red Cross helped with the release of the Chibok girls.
The New York Times states, “The handover began about 7 a.m. Sunday. Talks to free them had been going on for several months. The Nigerians worked with the government of Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross to secure the release.”
The International Red Cross was the middleman in the hostage return. This was because of their neutral stance in politics.
Per CNN, “‘(Given) our long historical independent neutral stance, it’s common for us to be the middle man in hostage releases,’ said Jason Straziuso, spokesman for ICRC for East Africa. ‘We provide transportation from Boko Haram to the Nigerian government.”
This kidnapping of 300 girls is just one of many heinous acts Boko Haram has committed in Nigeria.
New York Times reports, “The kidnapping by Boko Haram of nearly 300 girls from a school at a small village in a remote corner of Nigeria is among the countless heinous acts by a group that has carried out of a campaign of murder, rape and the torching of whole villages, largely against some of the world’s poorest people. More than two million people have fled their homes to escape the group’s violence.”
After being freed, the girls went under the protection of the military to make sure everything was alright.
Open Doors explains, “The freed girls are now under the protection of the military in the capital of Abuja. They will undergo medical checks, and soon reunite with their families.”
Pray for more of the Chibok girls to be rescued from Boko Haram. Pray for Boko Haram to know Christ’s hope. Pray for the government to have wisdom on how to best rescue more girls.
CNN: 82 Chibok schoolgirls released in Nigeria
New York Times: After Boko Haram Releases Nigerian Girls, an Anguished Wait for Parents
Open Doors: Breaking: 82 Chibok Girls Reportedly Released by Boko Haram in Nigeria