The
sweet joy of freedom’s air filled 21 Chibok schoolgirls released from captivity
in Nigeria. Now delicate negotiations are underway to release 83 more of the
275 Chibok schoolgirls originally kidnapped by Muslim extremists in 2014.
“Praise the Lord! We are thankful,” Helen Musa exclaimed, one of the 21. “We
never imagined we would see this day.“But with the help of God we were able to
come out of bondage,” she declared.More than two years have passed since 275
schoolgirls were kidnapped from their dormitories in Chibok, in northeastern
Nigeria. Their disappearance generated headlines around the world and fueled a
social-media storm, with the hashtag #bringbackourgirls. Nearly all the
kidnapped girls are Christians. During their captivity they lived in grass huts
and forcibly converted to Islam. In the beginning their diet consisted of rice
and maize. When food became scarce, a few of them died. Some parents who met
with the girls said one of the schoolgirls died of snakebite, one died in
childbirth, and four died in a bombing, according to the New York Times. Videos
of the reunion ceremony showed families leaping up and down in celebration,
singing songs of praise to Jesus. “I felt like it was the day that I born her
into this world,” said Ruth Markus, the mother of Saratu Markus, one of the
freed girls. “I danced and danced and danced.”It is hoped more of the girls
will be released soon. According to a report in Christian Post.“This is only
the first step in what we believe will be total liberation and release of all
the remaining girls,” said Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Information Minister.