A new video has emerged suggesting that the Nigerian government reached an agreement with the bandits who abducted schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, despite official claims that no ransom was paid.
The girls were released on Tuesday, and authorities publicly stated that they were freed without any financial exchange. However, the video circulating online tells a different story. Shared by X user @AM_Saleeem, the clip shows some of the kidnappers speaking to the students shortly before their release.
In the footage, one armed man asks the girls about military aircraft that hovered over the forest while they were held captive. He wanted to know how many jets flew above them. The girls responded, “Uncountable.”
The bandit then bragged that the government could not rescue them by force, insisting that officials had to negotiate with the abductors. The kidnappers also asked the girls about their treatment during the period of captivity.
“Did we leave you hungry?” one of them asked.
“No,” the students replied.
“Were you assaulted in any way?” he continued.
“No,” they answered.
Another member of the group assured the girls that they would be returned safely to their parents, saying their release was the outcome of a peace agreement. He again mocked the government, asking how many helicopters flew overhead. The girls repeated that they could not count them.
Toward the end of the video, one of the abductors stated:
“We are letting you go after negotiations. Your government cannot rescue you with force. Your government has failed.”
The footage surfaced shortly after Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, announced that all abducted students had been released.
The girls, taken after gunmen attacked the school and killed the vice-principal, were later seen smiling in a bus as officials prepared to transport them to Birnin Kebbi, the state capital. Authorities have said they will be handed over to their families today (Wednesday).
