Nigerian military says most of abducted schoolgirls freed, 8 still missing

MAIDUGURI/ABUJA, (Reuters) – Nigeria’s military said yesterday its forces had freed most of the more than 100 teenage schoolgirls abducted by Islamist Boko Haram militants and were continuing the search for eight students still missing. In a brief statement sent to media, spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade said one of the “terrorists” involved in Monday’s abduction of female students from the Chibok government secondary school in northeast Borno state had been captured.

“With this development, the Principal of the school has confirmed that only eight of the students are still missing,” Olukolade said, adding that the rescue operation was continuing.

He did not specify exactly how many of the girls snatched from their school by the anti-government Islamist movement had been rescued or give details of how or where they were freed.