UPDATE - Nigeria's deal with militants frees over 90 schoolgirls

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM INFORMATION MINISTER, HEADLINE, SPOT CHANGED, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - At least 91 out of the 110 schoolgirls who were abducted last month have been released by Boko Haram militant group following “back-channel efforts involving some friends of Nigeria”, according to Information Minister Lai Mohamed Wednesday.

In a statement, Mohamed said efforts to secure the release of the remaining girls are ongoing.

“The girls were released at around 3 a.m. through back-channel efforts and with the help of some friends of the country, and it was unconditional,” the minister said.

“For the release to work, the government had a clear understanding that violence and confrontation would not be the way out as it could endanger the lives of the girls, hence, a non-violent approach was the preferred option.

“Within the period when the girls were being brought back, an operational pause was observed in certain areas to ensure free passage and also that lives were not lost.”

Mohamed said the girls had not been handed over to anyone but they were dropped off in Dapchi.

The girls were abducted on Feb. 19 sparking a new wave of international outrage. The abduction had come nearly four years after the Boko Haram similarly kidnapped 276 schoolgirls. At least 113 of the girls abducted in 2014 remain with their captors.

According to some local media reports, the February abduction had been carried out by the Abu Musab Al-Barnawi faction while the April 2014 Chibok abductions were by the Abubakar Shekau faction of the Boko Haram armed group.

Earlier, security officials had confirmed to Anadolu Agency that the schoolgirls had been released.

“I can confirm, albeit unofficially, that the information is true. But we are not sure of the number of those freed. My men are on their way to Dapchi [the town where the February abduction took place]," a security chief in northeastern Yobe state said anonymously due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The release of the schoolgirls came a day after Amnesty International had slammed Nigeria over the abduction.