Twelve young girls kidnapped by armed militants in Nigeria's Borno state have been released, according to local officials. The girls were among 13 women and girls abducted from their farms last week near a nature reserve that has become a hideout for jihadist groups.
The release came as the country continues to experience a surge in abductions of young people over the past two weeks. According to Abubakar Mazhinyi, president of the local Askira-Uba council, all 12 girls were released and are currently receiving medical attention.
Mazhinyi stated that the militants contacted the parents of the girls before releasing them, adding that it was the parents who made contact with the militants. No ransom was paid in exchange for their release, as the army was in pursuit of the militants at the time.
The region has been plagued by violence and conflict for 16 years, with Boko Haram being the main culprit. The group is responsible for the kidnapping of nearly 300 girls from Chibok in 2014.
While the threat posed by Boko Haram has diminished, other jihadist groups such as the Islamic State's West Africa Province are still considered a significant danger. According to UN figures, over 40,000 people have lost their lives and more than two million have been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict.
The violence is not limited to the northeast of the country, with armed gangs seizing over 300 children from a Catholic school in Niger's central-western state last week. While some managed to escape, more than 265 children and teachers are still being held captive.
The release came as the country continues to experience a surge in abductions of young people over the past two weeks. According to Abubakar Mazhinyi, president of the local Askira-Uba council, all 12 girls were released and are currently receiving medical attention.
Mazhinyi stated that the militants contacted the parents of the girls before releasing them, adding that it was the parents who made contact with the militants. No ransom was paid in exchange for their release, as the army was in pursuit of the militants at the time.
The region has been plagued by violence and conflict for 16 years, with Boko Haram being the main culprit. The group is responsible for the kidnapping of nearly 300 girls from Chibok in 2014.
While the threat posed by Boko Haram has diminished, other jihadist groups such as the Islamic State's West Africa Province are still considered a significant danger. According to UN figures, over 40,000 people have lost their lives and more than two million have been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict.
The violence is not limited to the northeast of the country, with armed gangs seizing over 300 children from a Catholic school in Niger's central-western state last week. While some managed to escape, more than 265 children and teachers are still being held captive.
This is so crazy! I mean, these girls were held for like, weeks or something, and then they just magically get released without anyone knowing how? And it's all because their parents reached out to the militants first? That's wild. 
It's just not right.
... I mean, 12 girls released? That's like, amazing news, right? I'm just glad they're safe, you know? The fact that the militants didn't demand ransom and instead contacted the parents before releasing them shows some signs of sanity 
... I mean, it's not just Boko Haram and the like that we need to worry about. There are all these other groups popping up left and right. It's like, how can one country deal with so much at once? 
Can you believe that these young girls were kidnapped just a few days ago? 16 years of fighting is just too long, it's like the conflict never ends 
. I'm glad some of them are being released now, but what about those still held captive? 
.
just saw that 12 kidnapped girls in Nigeria were released after militants made contact with their parents 
. it's crazy how violence is still a major issue in that region for 16 years 
. we need to keep an eye out for those guys. did u know there were over 40k lives lost & 2m ppl displaced because of all this? 
, 40k+ lives lost & 2 mil displaced is insane, can't even imagine living in fear like that 
. Niger's situation is just as dire, hope those kids r freed soon 
i hope they can get back to their normal life soon ugh the conflict in nigeria is so messed up like 16 years of violence and over 40k people have lost their lives 2mln more forced to flee their homes its just not right these militant groups need to stop their senseless violence and let ppl live in peace 
anyway i feel bad for the girls tho, 12 of them was released but who knows what kinda trauma they went thru? and its not just nigeria, thats for sure. im from europe btw, been followin these conflict for a while now... its crazy how much violence is still goin on 
The question is, what's driving these militant groups to keep abducting innocent people? Is it a lack of government funding for education and economic development in the region? Or is it simply a case of weak governance allowing these groups to thrive? 
I think we need to take a closer look at how the government is addressing the root causes of this conflict. Are they doing enough to engage with local leaders and communities to find long-term solutions? 
And what about the role of external actors, like the UN and international donors, in supporting Nigeria's efforts to combat terrorism? We can't just throw money at the problem without a clear plan for how it's going to be used. 
. Can we just have some peace already?! 