The 82 Nigerian schoolgirls recently released after more than three years in Boko Haram captivity were finally reunited with their families on Saturday in a public display of emotion.

Images from the scene showed brightly dressed families rushing through the crowd to hug the girls. One small group sank to their knees, with a woman raising her hands to the heavens as if in church. A beaming father picked his daughter up and swung her around in the air. Some danced. Others wept tears of joy.

Chibok schoolgirls are reunited with their families: in pictures Read more

“I am really happy today, I am Christmas and new year, I am very happy and I thank God,” said Godiya Joshua, whose daughter Esther was among those freed.

“I’m feeling very happy, I was dancing with her, she’s very happy,” said Yakubu Nkeki, on seeing his niece Maimuna, who he raised as his own child. “Everyone was dancing today, even the old ones, everyone was dancing. All of us had lost hope, we thought the girls would not be returned.”

The families were reunited in the capital, Abuja, where the girls were taken by Nigerian authorities after their release two weeks ago. The reunited families will attend a church service on Sunday and the parents will return home early in the week leaving the girls in the capital in the care of the government to receive therapy and training.

It was the largest release of hostages since 276 schoolgirls were abducted from their boarding school in Chibok, north-east Nigeria, in 2014 when the militants arrived while they were sleeping in their dormitories. Five commanders from the extremist group were exchanged for the girls’ freedom, and Nigeria’s government has said it would make further exchanges to bring the 113 remaining schoolgirls home. The public nature of the reunion was clearly arranged by the government to share its success with the nation.

“We have trust in this government, definitely they will rescue the rest safely and bring them back to us alive,” said Nkeki.

“Our joy is never complete until we see the complete 113, because one Chibok girl matters to all Chibok people,” said Yahi Bwata, a parent of one of the freed schoolgirls. Many of the girls, most of them Christians, were forced to marry extremists and have had children. Some have been radicalised and have refused to return. It is feared that some have been used in suicide bombings. Some parents admitted they were anxious about the effect the ordeal has had on the girls.

The mass abduction in April 2014 brought international attention to Boko Haram’s deadly insurgency in northern Nigeria, and it launched a social media-driven #BringBackOurGirls campaign that got the backing of celebrities and global figures, including then US first lady Michelle Obama. Thousands of people have been kidnapped during the extremists’ eight-year insurgency, and more than 20,000 have been killed.

Joy as 82 Chibok schoolgirls hug and kiss their families again Read more

In the confusion immediately after the kidnapping, 57 girls managed to escape, but the rest were driven far into the Sambisa forest. For more than three years they were moved from forest to city and to caves around north-east Nigeria. According to one source, there was plenty of food to begin with, but as government forces advanced and put pressure on Boko Haram, sometimes the girls went hungry.

The release of the 82 schoolgirls two weeks ago came after an initial group of 21 girls was released in October. Nigeria’s government has acknowledged negotiating with Boko Haram for their release, with the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross helping as mediators.

Once the deal was done the girls travelled in the dark to reach the rendezvous point and waited on the edge of a forest near the Cameroon border to be picked up and taken away in four armoured vehicles. They were dressed in dark, floor-length hijabs. After a night at an army base, the girls were taken by military helicopter to the nearby city of Maiduguri, before flying on to Abuja.

Since the latest release, many families in the remote community had been waiting for word on whether their daughters were among those freed. A government list of names circulated, and parents were asked to confirm the girls’ identities through photographs.

Both groups of freed girls have been in government care in the capital as part of a nine-month reintegration programme that President Muhammadu Buhari has said he will oversee personally. But human rights groups have criticised the government for keeping the young women for so long in the capital, far from their homes more than 550 miles away.</s>Parents of the 82 Chibok schoolgirls who were released after being held for more than three years by Boko Haram have arrived in Abuja to reunite with their children.

The minister for women, Aisha Alhassan, had on May 11 promised that the students’ parents will travel from the remote northeastern town in Borno state to meet their daughters in the capital, Abuja.

It was joy unlimited for the parents who set theirs eyes on their daughters for the first time in over three years,

Watch Video Of Their Arrival Below;</s>Recently Released Chibok Girls Reunite with their Parents in Abuja | Photos

The recently released 82 Chibok school girls have reunited with their parents on Saturday in Abuja in an emotion-laden occasion. Joe Mutah, the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja. Mutah said that the girls were earlier reunited with 24 others who […]

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>Parents of the recently released 82 Chibok school girls this morning reunited with their daughters. The parents were transported from Borno state to Abuja by the Federal government. The reunion took place at the state house Abuja. This will be the first time parents of the 82 Chibok school girls will meet with their daughters after being in Boko Haram captivity for over three years. See more photos after the cut...</s>Photos: Olatunji Obasa Parents of the Eighty-two Chibok schoolgirls who were released after being held for more than three years by Boko Haram have arrived in Abuja to reunite with their children. The minister for women, Aisha Alhassan, had on May 11 promised that the students’ parents will travel from the remote northeastern town in […] Read Full Story</s>Officials say the 82 Nigerian schoolgirls recently released after more than three years in Boko Haram captivity are reuniting with their families for the first time. Some of the families were seen Saturday in the capital, Abuja, where the girls were taken by Nigerian authorities after their release earlier this month.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Daily News-Record.</s>ABUJA, Nigeria - The 82 Nigerian schoolgirls recently released after more than three years in Boko Haram captivity reunited with their families Saturday as anxious parents looked for signs of how deeply the extremists had changed their daughters’ lives.

Brightly dressed families rushed through the crowd in the capital, Abuja, and embraced. One small group sank to their knees, with a woman raising her hands as if praising in church. Some danced. Others were in tears.

“I am really happy today, I am Christmas and new year, I am very happy and I thank God,” said mother Godiya Joshua, whose daughter Esther was among those freed.

This month’s release was the largest liberation of hostages since 276 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted from their boarding school in 2014. Five commanders from the extremist group were exchanged for the girls’ freedom, and Nigeria’s government has said it would make further exchanges to bring the 113 remaining schoolgirls home.

“Our joy is never complete until we see the complete 113, because one Chibok girl matters to all Chibok people,” said a parent of one of the freed schoolgirls, Yahi Bwata.

Many of the girls, most of them Christians, were forced to marry extremists and have had children. Some have been radicalized and have refused to return. It is feared that some have been used in suicide bombings.

The mass abduction in April 2014 brought international attention to Boko Haram’s deadly insurgency in northern Nigeria, and it launched a global Bring Back Our Girls campaign that drew the backing of some celebrities, including former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama. Thousands have been kidnapped during the extremists’ eight-year insurgency, and more than 20,000 have been killed.

The release of the 82 schoolgirls this month came after an initial group of 21 girls was released in October. Nigeria’s government has acknowledged negotiating with Boko Haram for their release, with mediation help from the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The two groups of freed schoolgirls reunited earlier Saturday, Nigeria’s Channels TV reported, showing the young women laughing and embracing.

Since the latest release, many families in the remote Chibok community had been waiting for word on whether their daughters were among them. A government list of names circulated, and parents were asked to confirm the freed girls’ identities through photos.

Both groups of freed girls have been in government care in the capital as part of a nine-month reintegration program that President Muhammadu Buhari has said he will oversee personally. But human rights groups have criticized the government for keeping the young women so long in the capital, far from their homes.</s>Nigerian troops fought Boko Haram in the Lake Chad area on Saturday, killing 13 of the Islamic extremists and arresting 10 others, including 6 women believed to have helped smuggle supplies to the insurgents, said an army spokesman.

 

 Soldiers of the of 8 Task Force Battalion spent 72 hours clearing the location where the Boko Haram fighters were hiding, said battalion spokesman Col. Timothy Antigha. Many other Boko Haram fighters were wounded by gunfire, he said.

 

 The troops, operating in the Chikun Gudu, Tumbuma Karami and Tumbuma Baba areas recovered three AK 47 rifles and one pump-action rifle, assorted rifle magazines and 306 rounds of ammunition, a tool box, a freezer and a Toyota truck, he said.

 

 In a related development, army troops, acting on a tip off, rounded up 10 suspected Boko Haram smugglers, he said. The suspects, six females and four males, are being investigated to determine the extent of their involvement with Boko Haram, he said.

 

 Since the army regained control of most of the Sambisa Forest area in northeastern Nigeria from Boko Haram in December 2016, Nigerian troops have pursued the extremist fighters in areas where they have fled.

 

 Boko Haram's violent campaign to seize Nigerian territory to enforce strict Islamic Shariah rule is responsible for the deaths of thousands and has displaced about 3 million people, mostly women and children, since 2009. Thousands have been kidnapped by Boko Haram, including nearly 300 schoolgirls in Chibok in 2015.

 

 Joyous scenes occurred in the capital, Abuja, Saturday when 82 newly freed Chibok schoolgirls were reunited with their families. Nigeria's government negotiated with Boko Haram, with help from Swiss officials and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to secure the freedom of the young women from Chibok in return for the release of five extremist commanders.</s>Says many of them elect to be psychotherapists

Two weeks after they regained freedom from Boko Haram, the 82 Chibok schoolgirls yesterday reunited with their families in Abuja.

Although journalists were not invited to the reunion, THISDAY gathered that it was held at the Department of State Service (DSS) Clinic in Abuja.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information, Mr. Joe Mutah, described the reunion as “emotion-laden’.

The statement said the 82 girls were first reunited with 24 other girls, who were rescued by the Federal Government last year.

Some of the photographs from the reunion showed sobbing parents hugging their daughters whom they had not seen since they were abducted from their dormitories in April 2014.

One of the photos showed some of the rescued 82 girls in joyful mood when they reunited with the 24 others rescued last year.

According to the statement, Minister of Women Affairs, Jummai Alhassan, represented by the Director Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry, Mrs. Abidemi Aremo, said a group of experts had been put together to address the girls’ psycho-social support and medical needs.

“The children are being rehabilitated and we believe that in due course they will be properly aligned with their families.

“Intensive medical attention is being administered and as soon as they are done, they will be enrolled into a remedial programme,” the statement quoted the minister.

Alhasan disclosed that the 24 others who were rescued last year were currently undergoing psycho-social counseling and remedial programme preparatory to their enrollment in school next academic session.

“For the 21 and three girls that were earlier released, I wish to inform us that their psycho-social counseling is still in progress and of course they have started remedial classes. They are being taught five subjects, which is designed with a view to getting them back to school come the next school session, which is in September this year. They will be settled in various schools and I am sure they will continue their education from there,” she said.

She stated that the federal government had intensified efforts to rescue the remaining girls in captivity.

The statement quoted the chairman of the parents of the abducted school girls, Yakubu Nkeki, as saying their joy had no bounds and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for wiping away their tears.

Nkeki said he had high hopes that very soon the remaining girls still in captivity would be rescued.

Also yesterday, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) gave more insights into the rehabilitation process which the rescued girls are currently undergoing.

The Deputy Representative of the UNFPA, Mr. Eugene Kongnyuy, in an interview with some select journalists on the efforts of the agency to rehabilitate the girls, said the Federal Government would formally handover the released 82 Chibok Girls after concluding the ongoing medical assessment on them.

Kongnyuy said that the 82 girls were currently under the care of the Ministry of Women Affairs and when all the necessary assessment were concluded, they would be officially handed over to the agency in addition to the 24 of them they are currently catering for.

“I had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Women Affairs, that was last week (May 8) and they were still undergoing medical assessment at that point in time. We in UNFPA have not been able to see them because they said the girls were undergoing medical assessment because they had similar medical cases as with the previous 24. We are hopeful that once the assessment is done, the necessary training is given, then, they will go to where they are supposed to live and that they will take similar nine-month rehabilitation programme as the previous 24 girls, ” he said.

He said that when the girls eventually come under their custody, they would be provided with physical, medical as well as psychological rehabilitation.

Kongyuy assured that UNFPA would help the girls reintegrate successfully into the society and highlighted some of the efforts currently put in place to achieve that, including education and vocational training.

He also disclosed that the rehabilitation process was necessary because several of the girls suffered trauma due to three years of physical, emotional and psychological abuse by their captors.

He said: “As you are aware, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) support is for the 24 Chibok girls that were released, 21 plus three, and now 82 girls have also been released. And, they are under the safekeeping of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. UNFPA received a request from the Ministry on certain specific areas that UNFPA has comparative advantage. These include physical rehabilitation, medical rehabilitation, psychosocial rehabilitation as well as livelihood support.

“Basically, the physical rehabilitation is to provide the girls with their personal effects needs, which include culturally appropriate dressing and other clothing materials. In terms of medical support, some of the girls had series of medical treatment where they went through medical screening and diagnosis, and they were all treated. In terms of psychosocial support, they had serious psychosocial trauma, as such they all needed counseling. They have lost basically their childhood, missed three years of adolescenthood and gone through violence: sexual, physical and emotional. And, they needed psychosocial rehabilitation.”

“In terms of nutrition, many of them were malnourished; they needed some balanced diet to get them back to normalcy. They also needed a shelter where they can stay and be looked after. Government is providing that. And, UNFPA also provided livelihood support through the government.”

The UN official noted that “the girls were asked question whether they wanted to go back to school, formal education, or they wanted to follow a vocational training track. They divided themselves into two groups. Those that decided to pursue formal education, teachers were recruited to actually fast-track their preparation for JAMB because they were kidnapped, as they were about to write their JAMB, so that they can proceed to university”.

“Those that wanted vocation training, many of them chose to be trained as psychotherapists, some of them are undertaking ICT training. So, these are the different forms of trainings they are offered so that they can prepare for their future in establishing small businesses or get job when they get themselves integrated back into their communities.”

Speaking further, Kongnyuy disclosed that most of the earlier released 24 girls had been reportedly allowed to see their family from time to time.

“We have been able to see the 24 girls, and we had access when we request through the minister . According to the discussion we had with the minister, the girls have frequent interactions with their families.

“Their families do visit them where they are, and they do go back to their homes in Chibok from time to time, depending on when they choose to. They do have frequent interaction with their parents, and with their spouses for those who were married before they were kidnapped,” he explained.

Altogether, 106 Chibok schoolgirls have been rescued through the prisoner-swap deals brokered on behalf of the federal government by the government of Switzerland and the International Red Cross.

The girls were abducted in April 2014, from their dormitories at Government Secondary School by Boko Haram that waged war of terror on the North-east of Nigeria in a bid to establish an Islamic caliphate in the region.</s>Nigerian troops fought Boko Haram in the Lake Chad, Africa area yesterday, killing 13 of the Islamic extremists and arresting 10 others, including six women believed to have helped smuggle supplies to the insurgents, an army spokesman said.

Meanwhile witnesses said four civilians out hunting for food near a displacement camp in the northeast were beheaded by suspected Boko Haram militants.

Soldiers from the 8 Task Force Battalion spent 72 hours clearing the location where the Boko Haram fighters were hiding, said battalion spokesman Timothy Antigha. Many other Boko Haram fighters were wounded by gunfire, he said.

The troops, operating in the Chikun Gudu, Tumbuma Karami and Tumbuma Baba areas recovered three AK 47 rifles and one pump-action rifle, assorted rifle magazines and 306 rounds of ammunition, a tool box, a freezer and a Toyota truck, he said.

In a related development, army troops, acting on a tip off, rounded up 10 suspected Boko Haram smugglers, he said. The suspects, six females and four males, are being investigated to determine the extent of their involvement with Boko Haram, he said.

Since the army regained control of most of the Sambisa Forest area in northeastern Nigeria from Boko Haram in December 2016, Nigerian troops have pursued the extremist fighters in areas where they have fled.

Boko Haram's violent campaign to seize Nigerian territory to enforce strict Islamic Shariah rule is responsible for the deaths of thousands and has displaced about 3 million people, mostly women and children, since 2009. Thousands have been kidnapped by Boko Haram, including nearly 300 schoolgirls in Chibok in 2015.

Joyous scenes occurred in the capital, Abuja, Saturday when 82 newly freed Chibok schoolgirls were reunited with their families.

Nigeria's government negotiated with Boko Haram, with help from Swiss officials and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to secure the freedom of the young women from Chibok in return for the release of five extremist commanders.

On Sunday, witnesses in the northeast said a 12-person hunting team had come under attack near Maiduguri.

Six managed to escape the attack while two others are still missing, according to Abba Kalli, an official of the Civilian-JTF, a local youth vigilante group helping the soldiers to fight Boko Haram.
82 of the female students recently released by Boko Haram reunite with their families in Abuja.