Boko Haram insurgents have returned the schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Science Technical College in Dapchi town, Yobe state.
Amharic M-grah, a Dapchi resident whose daughters were among the 110 abducted students, told our reporter that his children were brought back on Wednesday morning.
“The report is true. I have seen my two daughters who were kidnapped last month,” he said.
Another resident said there is confusion in the town as many people are running out of fear.
“Boko Haram just returned the kidnapped girls this morning. They brought them back in the same set of vehicles which they used in conveying them last month,” the resident said.
“People are scared because they do not know what the insurgents are up to.”
A source said five of the girls died in captivity but the information cannot be immediately verified.
Last week, Mansur Dan Ali, minister of defence, said the girls would soon be reunited with their parents.
The Chairman of the Abducted Girls Parents’ Forum, Alhaji Bashir Manzo, also confirmed the release but could not ascertained the number of those freed by Boko Haram.
A prominent member of Dapchi Community also confirmed that they are presently taking the girls’ roll call.
“As I speak with you, we are presently trying to take the roll call of the girls to ascertain the exact number,” the source said.
The girls’ release coincided with a solidarity visit of parents of the abducted Chibok girls who are currently in Dapchi.
A security source said: “Boko Haram militants drove into Dapchi and dropped off the girls at the heart of the town and went back with no shot fired at them. We were asked to leave our camp which is the same route that Boko Haram followed to drop off the girls.”
A residents said the girls are currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Dapchi. “The girls are looking terrible. Most of them are on drip because they very exhausted and underfed, ” a medical personnel at the hospital said.
Speaking on number of girls released, another security source said some of the parents took their children away immediately Boko Haram dropped them.
“We are having challenges getting the exact number of girls released because some of the parents came and took their children away immediately Boko Haram came and dropped them off. We are trying to retrieve some of the girls now but it is difficult,” he stated.