The abducted Dapchi schoolgirls who regained their freedom on Wednesday have been airlifted to Nigeria’s capital Abuja.
They were flown to Abuja aboard a military plane from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital after being handed over to the Federal Government by the military there.
The freed girls have been airlifted to Abuja aboard a military transport plane.#DapchiBriefing
— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) March 21, 2018
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Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, handed over the freed girls to a four-member Federal Government delegation in the evening.
The delegation comprised of the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Danbazzau; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim; and a member of the House of Representatives, Goni Lawan Bukar, from Dapchi.
Of the 110 girls snatched by Boko Haram on February 19, the Federal Government said 104 were returned by the terrorists with six unaccounted for.
They were freed with two minors – a boy and a girl – who were also airlifted to Abuja with the schoolgirls.
The Federal Government had initially put the number of girls freed at 76 before revising it upwards – to 101, 105 and 104 after verification.
UPDATE 2: 104 DAPCHI GIRLS, 2 OTHERS FREED UNCONDITIONALLY
— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) March 21, 2018
A total of 106 abducted persons,
comprising 104 Daphi schoolgirls, one other girl and a boy were freed
by insurgents in the early hours of today, Wednesday March 21, 2018.
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