Image copyright AFP Image caption Boko Haram has shown some of those kidnapped on its propaganda videos

Twenty-one of the schoolgirls kidnapped in 2014 by Boko Haram in Chibok, Nigeria, have been freed, the president's spokesman has confirmed.

Garba Shehu said the release was "the outcome of negotiations between the administration and Islamist militants".

A security official told the BBC several militants were freed in a swap - but the government later denied this.

Boko Haram seized more than 270 girls from a school in Chibok, north-east Nigeria, triggering global outcry.

It sparked one of the biggest global social media campaigns, with tweeters using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.

President Muhammadu Buhari's spokesman said on Twitter that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Swiss government had acted as mediators in the talks with Boko Haram.

Mr Shehu added that negotiations were continuing.

The girls, who are due to arrive in Abuja, would be examined by a team of doctors and psychologists, Information Minister Lai Mohammed told journalists in the capital Abuja.

Mr Mohammed said the government was confident that this "credible first step" would lead to the eventual release of the remaining girls.

However, he stressed that "this is not a swap".

"It is a release, the product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides," the minister said.

How the schoolgirls were freed - Martin Patience, BBC Nigeria reporter

Image copyright AFP

A security official has told the BBC that several top-level Boko Haram detainees were taken to a meeting point close to the Cameroon border.

Under the supervision of the ICRC, the girls were then released and the militants were handed over.

The students were then transported to the city of Maiduguri and placed under the supervision of the security forces.

According to the security official, most of the young women have babies.

Just last month the Nigerian government announced that several round of talks with Boko Haram had broken down, but with this release they have shown that those kidnapped can be released through intermediaries.

"I can only weep, right now. You know that kind of cry that is a mix of multiple emotions," Obiageli Ezekwesili, one of the leaders of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, has tweeted in response to the news.

The president also tweeted that he welcomed the release "following successful negotiations".

Image copyright AP Image caption The kidnap of the Chibok girls sparked a global campaign

Up to now there had only been one confirmed release of a student kidnapped from Chibok.

In May, a 19-year-old woman was found by an army-backed vigilante group.

After that it was believed that 218 students were still missing. More than 50 managed to escape on the day they were captured.

Boko Haram has also kidnapped thousands of other people during its seven-year insurgency in north-east Nigeria.

More than 30,000 others have been killed, the government says, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee from their homes.

Boko Haram at a glance:</s>Jihadist group Boko Haram has released 21 of the more than 200 kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls held since April 2014 in a prisoner swap deal with the Nigerian government, local sources said Thursday.

The Nigerian presidency said in a statement that the girls were released after negotiations between Boko Haram, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Nigerian and Swiss governments.

"It is confirmed that 21 of the missing Chibok girls have been released and are in the custody of the department of state services," presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said in the statement.

"The release of the girls... is an outcome of negotiations between the administration and the Boko Haram brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government," Shehu said. "The negotiations will continue."

"The girls were brought to Kumshe, which is 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Banki where a military base is stationed, in ICRC vehicles," said a local source.

"The four Boko Haram militants were brought to Banki from Maiduguri in a military helicopter from where they were driven to Kumshe in ICRC vehicles."

"The 21 (Chibok) girls arrived (in) Banki around 3:00 am (0200 GMT) where they found a military helicopter waiting. They were immediately ushered into the helicopter and flown to Maiduguri," said another local source.

Over 200 girls were captured from the northeast Nigeria town of Chibok in April 2014 by Boko Haram militants as part of their fight to establish an Islamist state in the region.

Out of the 276 girls kidnapped, scores escaped in the hours after the kidnapping, while another was rescued earlier this year.

In September, the Nigerian government said that it had opened negotiations with Boko Haram to secure the release of the remaining girls but that the talks were derailed due to a split in the extremist group.

"As I depart Abuja for Germany on an official visit, I welcome the release of 21 of our Chibok girls, following successful negotiations," Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement on Twitter.

The insurgency has claimed more than 20,000 lives, displaced 2.6 million people from their homes and thousands of children have been kidnapped since Boko Haram took up arms against the Nigerian government in 2009.</s>MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian officials say 21 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram extremists more than two years ago have been freed.

Presidential spokesman Mallam Garba Shehu tweeted Thursday that the girls are in the custody of Nigeria’s Department of State Services.

He said the release is a result of negotiations between the government and Boko Haram, brokered by the Swiss government and the International Red Cross. He said negotiations will continue.

The abduction of 276 schoolgirls in April 2014 brought international condemnation of Boko Haram, Nigeria’s home-grown Islamic extremist group. Dozens of the girls escaped, but most remain missing.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has said the girls would only be released if the government swaps them for detained extremist leaders.</s>Twenty one of the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants have been freed, officials said on Thursday.

The freed girls, the first to be released as a result of government action, are in the custody of Nigeria’s Department of State Services and secret intelligence agency, according to spokesman Garba Shehu.

“We are extremely delighted and grateful,” said the ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ movement on Facebook. The group, which has campaigned within Nigeria and internationally for the release of the students, said it awaits the names of the released girls.

Fighters swapped for schoolgirls

 

 A Nigerian military source said four detained Boko Haram leaders have been freed in exchange for the release of the schoolgirls.

The abduction of the schoolgirls in April 2014 and the government’s failure to quickly free them had caused international outrage and brought Boko Haram, Nigeria’s home-grown militant group, to the world’s attention.

Dozens of the girls escaped on their own, but most remain missing.

April 2014: Boko Haram extremists kidnap 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in northern Nigeria, the region where the insurgency emerged several years ago.

May 2015: New President Muhammadu Buhari is sworn in, pledges to tackle Boko Haram “head-on”.

April 13, 2016: Boko Haram video appears to show some of the Chibok girls and tearful mothers recognise their daughters.

May 18, 2016: Relative says one of the Chibok girls is found, pregnant, in a forest; pressure grows on Nigeria’s government to rescue the others.

August 14, 2016: Boko Haram video says some Chibok girls killed in airstrikes, demands release of extremists in exchange for other girls’ freedom.

October 13, 2016: Spokesman for Nigeria’s President confirms 21 Chibok girls have been freed, a result of government negotiations with Boko Haram.</s>The Nigerian government said in September it was committed to rescuing the 218 Chibok girls still held captive by Boko Haram. By (AFP/File)

Lagos (AFP) - Jihadist group Boko Haram released 21 kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls to the Nigerian government, an official in the president's office said Thursday.

"It's true. Ministry of Information will release a statement on the issue later," the source told AFP.

The girls were exchanged for four Boko Haram prisoners in Banki, northeast Nigeria, said a local source.

The identity of the girls has yet to be confirmed, said Bring Back Our Girls campaigner Aisha Yesufu.

"We cannot confirm anything yet," Yesufu said.</s>The Boko Haram radical militia has freed 21 of the more than 200 schoolgirls who were abducted from Chibok in 2014, the Nigerian government has confirmed.

The release of the 21 abducted schoolgirls was negotiated by the government in a deal brokered by the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross, a spokesman said.

A local news agency in Nigeria, quoting a Boko Haram commander, reported that the women were released in a “prisoner swap” for four senior Boko Haram militants in Nigerian custody. Similar reports are emerging from other agencies, quoting Nigerian government sources.

The released schoolgirls are “very tired” and are resting in government custody, according to Garba Shehu, a spokesman for Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari. They are believed to be in Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeastern Nigeria.

The spokesman said Mr. Buhari “welcomes the release of the girls” but cautioned Nigerians to remember that 30,000 Nigerians have been killed in the Boko Haram conflict.

The names of the freed schoolgirls will be released shortly, Mr. Shehu said in a series of tweets on Thursday in which he confirmed their release.

There was an emotional reaction from the Bring Back Our Girls movement, which has campaigned daily for the release of the schoolgirls since their kidnapping in April 2014.

“I can only weep, right now,” said Oby Ezekwesili, a founder of the Bring Back Our Girls group. “You know that kind of cry that is a mix of multiple emotions,” she tweeted. “Lord. Some of our girls ARE BACK!!!”

April 2014: Boko Haram extremists kidnap 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in northern Nigeria, the region where the insurgency emerged several years ago.

May 2015: New President Muhammadu Buhari is sworn in, pledges to tackle Boko Haram “head-on.”

April 13, 2016: Boko Haram video appears to show some of the Chibok girls and tearful mothers recognize their daughters.

May 18, 2016: Relative says one of the Chibok girls is found, pregnant, in a forest; pressure grows on Nigeria’s government to rescue the others.

Aug. 14, 2016: Boko Haram video says some Chibok girls killed in airstrikes, demands release of extremists in exchange for other girls’ freedom.

Oct. 13, 2016: Spokesman for Nigeria’s president confirms 21 Chibok girls have been freed, a result of government negotiations with Boko Haram.

With files from The Associated Press</s>Boko Haram militants handed over 21 missing Chibok schoolgirls to the Nigerian government Thursday morning, according to a CNN source with direct knowledge of the release.

The girls, who have not been named, remain in Maiduguri, the source said.

The militants herded the 276 girls out of bed at a school in Chibok in northern Nigeria in April 2014.

As many as 57 girls escaped and shared harrowing tales of fleeing from the nearby Sambisa Forest, believed to be the terrorist group’s stronghold.

Dozens are still missing, and their whereabouts remain a mystery, but are believed to be somewhere in the forest.

At the time, relatives roamed through the forest for days, frantically searching for the girl.

The kidnapping sparked global outrage and prompted global figures such as activist Malala Yousafzai and first lady Michelle Obama to support the campaign to #BringBackOurGirls.

Boko Haram recently split into two factions, one backed by ISIS.

The militant group says its aim is to impose a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Africa’s most populous nation, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.

In previous videos from the militant group, its leader, Shekau has demanded the release of Boko Haram fighters in exchange for the Chibok girls.

No Boko Haram fighters were released in exchange for the girls, the source said. It happened as a result of a series of negotiations held at high level and involving a group from Geneva, according to the source.</s>Nigeria confirmed Thursday that 21 girls had been released following a prisoner exchange deal struck with Boko Haram. By (AFP/File)

Lagos (AFP) - Here is a snapshot of key events since the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram jihadists from the remote town of Chibok in northeastern Nigeria more than two years ago.

Nigeria confirmed Thursday that 21 girls had been released following a prisoner exchange deal struck with Boko Haram.

On April 14, 2014, gunmen from the Islamist group Boko Haram seize 276 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state.

The girls are forced from their dormitories onto trucks and driven into the bush. Fifty-seven girls manage to flee.

An international media campaign is launched, backed by personalities including US First Lady Michelle Obama and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.

The hashtag #BringBackOurGirls fires a social media storm that ultimately achieves little.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claims responsibility for the mass abduction in a video released on May 5, and vows to sell the girls as slave brides.

One week later, a second video shows about 100 of the missing girls. Boko Haram says they have converted to Islam and will not be released unless militant fighters held in custody are freed.

On May 17, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria vow to fight Boko Haram together, in what Cameroon President Paul Biya terms a "declaration of war".

The UN Security Council says the kidnappings "may amount to crimes against humanity," as Britain, China, France, Israel and the US offer help.

US military specialists deploy to neighbouring Chad but later move elsewhere after Nigeria stops requesting their services.

On May 26, Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff Alex Badeh says the girls have been located but warns a rescue operation would put their lives at risk.

On October 31, Shekau quashes rumours of a deal with Nigerian authorities and says the girls have converted to Islam and been "married off".

On April 14, 2015, Nigeria's president-elect Muhammadu Buhari warns he "cannot promise that we can find" the girls, as vigils are held in many countries to mark their first year in captivity.

Amnesty International believes the girls have been separated into three or four groups and are being held in camps, some of which might be in Cameroon or Chad.

Buhari says in late December he is willing to negotiate with any "credible" Boko Haram leadership, a week after claiming the country has "technically" won the war against Boko Haram.

Throughout 2015, the Nigerian military announces the rescue of hundreds of people, most of them women and children, who have been kidnapped by Boko Haram.

But the missing schoolgirls are not among them, despite several unconfirmed sightings.

Suicide attacks using women and young girls increase against "soft" civilian targets such as mosques, markets and bus stations, fuelling fears that Boko Haram might be using its captives.

In March 2016, it emerges that Boko Haram also seized 500 women and children from the north east town of Damasak in Borno state just months after the Chibok abduction. The kidnapping was denied at the time.

On April 13, 2016, US news channel CNN reports that Boko Haram has sent a "proof of life" video which shows 15 of the girls, the first concrete indication that at least some are still alive.

On May 18, 2016 the Nigerian army confirms the first of the schoolgirls has been found. The 19-year-old, who later met President Buhari, was discovered with a four-month-old baby and a man she described as her husband near Boko Haram's Sambisa Forest enclave.

On October 13, 2016, Nigerian officials announce the release of 21 of the girls following talks between the government and Boko Haram brokered by Switzerland and the International Red Cross. Local sources say four jihadist prisoners were released as part of the deal to secure the girls' release.

The Nigerian government has raised the prospect that more releases could follow, with a senior official in the president's office saying that "the negotiations will continue".</s>"A number of Boko Haram commanders" were released as part of the process in which the Islamist militant group released 21 Chibok schoolgirls this week, a source close to the negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government said. The Nigerian government has denied that prisoners were exchanged. The girls' release was "not a swap," the Nigerian information minister said Thursday. "It is a release, the product of painstaking negotiations and trust on both sides."</s>"The release of the girls ... is the outcome of negotiations between the administration and the Boko Haram brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government," a presidency statement said. "The negotiations will continue."

Around 270 girls were taken from their school in Chibok in April 2014. Dozens escaped in the initial melee, but more than 200 are still missing.

The presidency gave no details on the deal, saying only that the 21 girls were very tired and would first rest in the custody of the national security agency.

Afterwards the girls would be handed over to Vice President Yemi Obinsajo, the statement said. President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to Germany on Thursday.

Authorities said in May that one of the missing girls had been found and President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to rescue the others.

Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency to create an Islamic state in the northeast has led to the deaths of 15,000 people and displaced more than two million.

The Nigerian military has been carrying out a large-scale offensive in the Sambisa forest, Boko Haram's stronghold, in the last few days.

The jihadist group, which last year pledged loyalty to the militant group Islamic State, controlled a swathe of land around the size of Belgium at the start of 2015.

But under Nigeria's army, aided by troops from neighboring countries, has recaptured most of the territory that had been lost. The group still stages suicide bombings in the northeast, as well as in neighboring Niger and Cameroon.

Boko Haram published a video in August apparently showing recent footage of dozens of the girls. In the video they said some of the girls were killed in air strikes.

Boko Haram has kidnapped hundreds of men, women and children but the kidnapping of the Chibok girls brought worldwide attention to the group.

In the last few months Buhari has said his government was prepared to negotiate with Boko Haram over the release of the girls.
Negotiations between the Nigerian president's administration and Islamist militants free 21 of the 270 schoolgirls kidnapped in 2014 by Boko Haram in Chibok, Nigeria (leaving 218 victims still unaccounted for).