THE 82 newly freed Chibok girls landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Sunday.
They were received on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari by his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
This is according to the Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, in a tweet posted on his personal handle on Sunday.
82 Chibok girls now in Abuja. Received on behalf of the President at the airport by Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari. Congrats Nigeria.
— Femi Adesina (@FemAdesina) May 7, 2017
He said: “82 Chibok girls now in Abuja. Received on behalf of the President at the airport by Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari. Congrats Nigeria.”
They girls are expected to be hosted by President Buhari at the Presidential Villa at 5:00 p.m. today (Sunday).
They were freed by their captors at the weekend in exchange for some Boko Haram insurgents held by authorities.
A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu in Abuja, on Saturday night, had said that the girls would be arriving in Abuja on Sunday to be received by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It said that Buhari was pleased that negotiations to free the girls had borne fruit.
The statement read: “The President is pleased announce that negotiations to release more of the Chibok Girls have born fruit with the release of 82 more Girls today.
“After months of patient negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these abducted girls in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities.
“The Girls are due tomorrow in Abuja to be received by the President.
“The President expressed his deep gratitude to security agencies, the military, the government of Switzerland, the Red Cross, local and international NGOs for the success of this operation.
“It may be recalled that when the first batch of 21 Girls were released in October last year,the President directed the security agencies to continue in earnest until all the Chibok Girls have been released and reunited with their families.”
It said the President had been receiving full reports from the Director-General of the State Security Services at each stage of the negotiations.
Malam Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesman on Saturday in a statement issued in Abuja, on Saturday night, confirmed that the girls were release by their captors in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the Federal Government.
Reports said the 82 girls were released to international negotiators who have been working in collaboration with the Federal government for their safe return since they were kidnapped in April 2014.
and then