Chibok girls: 'First kidnapped girl rescued' in Nigeria

BBC.COM | Wednesday May 18, 2016 15:07

 

The 276 girls were taken from their secondary school in north-east Nigeria by Boko Haram militants in April 2014.

Activists confirmed to the BBC that Amina Ali Nkek was found by a vigilante group on Tuesday in the Sambisa Forest, close to the border with Cameroon.

She was reportedly identified by a civilian fighter who recognised her.

The fighter belonged to the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), a vigilante group set up to help fight Boko Haram.

Sources told the BBC she came from the town of Mbalala, south of Chibok, from where 25 of the kidnapped girls came. It is understood she was found with a baby.

The gunmen arrived in Chibok late at night, then raided the school dormitories and loaded 276 girls on to trucks.

Some managed to escape within hours of their kidnapping, mostly by jumping off the lorries and running off into the bushes.

In total, 219 girls were taken away.

Nigeria's military has not yet commented on the rescue.

A video broadcast by CNN in April 2016 appeared to show some of the kidnapped schoolgirls alive.

Fifteen girls in black robes were pictured. They said they were being treated well but wanted to be with their families.

The video was allegedly shot on Christmas Day 2015 and some of the girls were identified by their parents.