A newly surfaced video has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the release of the 24 students kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, suggesting that the Nigerian government negotiated with the abductors before the girls were freed.
Earlier reports confirmed the students’ release on Tuesday, with authorities insisting that no ransom was paid. However, the video, shared on X by @AM_Saleeem, appears to show one of the armed men speaking directly to the girls during their captivity.
In the footage, a bandit questions the students about military aircraft that flew over the forest, asking, “How many jets passed above you?” The girls responded, “Uncountable.” The kidnapper then claimed that the authorities could not rescue them by force and had to negotiate.
The abductors also asked about the girls’ wellbeing:
- “Did we leave you hungry?” – Girls: “No.”
- “Were you assaulted in any way?” – Girls: “No.”
One kidnapper added, “We will take you back home safe to your parents, we are doing this based on peace deals,” and mocked the government’s inability to rescue the students militarily.
The video concludes with a chilling statement from one of the abductors: “We are letting you go after negotiations. Your government cannot rescue you with might. Your government has failed.”
The footage emerged shortly after Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris and Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle officially announced the girls’ release. The students, kidnapped after armed men stormed their school and killed the vice-principal, were later seen smiling inside a bus en route to Birnin Kebbi, the state capital. Authorities confirmed that the girls will be reunited with their parents on Wednesday.
The video has fueled public debate over the handling of kidnappings in the region and whether negotiations with bandits are being used as a tactic in securing victims’ release.