A video released immediately after the students of Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, were freed has cast a dark shadow over the official claim that the Nigerian government secured the release without paying a ransom or engaging in dialogue.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the kidnapped students were released, with the government asserting that no payment was made prior to their freedom.
However, a clip has surfaced online suggesting the authorities did negotiate with the abductors before the schoolgirls were set free.
In the video footage, one of the armed men is heard questioning the students about military aircraft that flew over the forest during their captivity. He asks how many jets passed above them, and the girls respond, “uncountable.”
The kidnapper then boasts that the government was incapable of rescuing the students by force and had to resort to negotiation. The abductors also asked the girls about their treatment in custody.“Did we leave you hungry?” one bandit asked. “No,” the girls replied.
READ ALSO: Boko Haram members found in Army recruitment list – Rep member
“Were you assaulted in any way?” he asked again. “No,” they answered.
Another kidnapper told them, “We will take you back home safe to your parents, we are doing this based on peace deals.” He also mocked the government again, asking, “How many helicopters did you see hover around?” The students replied that they could not count them.
At the conclusion of the video, one of the abductors declared, “We are letting you go after negotiations. Your government cannot rescue you with might. Your government has failed.”
This footage appeared shortly after Kebbi State governor, Nasir Idris, and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, publicly announced that all abducted students had been freed.