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Two busloads of girls, believed to be those who were kidnapped at the Chibok Government Secondary School in April 2014, were thought to have been released, according to a Nigeria Times report. The BBC later reported that the report was incorrect and that the girls were not those who were kidnapped at Chibok.
Here’s what we know so far:
1. The Girls Were Driven by Bus Into an Army Barracks
Members of the 7th division of the Nigerian Army on patrol. (Getty)
The girls showed up in two Toyota Hiace buses at a Nigerian army barracks in Maiduguri. The barracks is home to the 7th division of the Nigerian Army. The Daily Post in Nigeria reports that the barracks was specifically set up to fight Boko Haram.
2. We Don’t Know Who These Girls Are
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The Nigeria Times report says that the bus drove straight into the barracks “under heavy security guard.” The newspaper does not speculate how many of the girls were on the buses.
3. The Nigerian Military Retracted a Statement About the Girls
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The release of the girls has been confirmed by the Nigerian military, according to BBC Africa. The BBC in London however reported soon after that the military was retracting this statement.
In September 2014, it was reported that a girl, named “Saa,” had managed to escape the clutches of the Boko Haram campaign.
4. In Total, 276 Girls Were Taken by Boko Haram
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On the night of April 15, 2014, 276 female high-school students were kidnapped from a boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria. The Islamist terror organization Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack.
5. This Will Be a Huge Victory for the ‘#BringBackOurGirls’ Campaign
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Boko Haram had claimed that they wanted to sell the girls. After news of the kidnapping went worldwide, an international social media campaign called “#bringbackourgirls” was launched. The campaign had been mocked by right-wing commentators like Rush Limbaugh.
