After an anxious three years, the families of 82 kidnapped Nigerian school girls have been finally reunited with their families.
The emotional and joy-filled reunion happened in the Nigerian capital Abuja, where the girls were taken by Nigerian authorities after their release earlier this month.
In total, 276 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted from their boarding school in April 2014 in the African nation's northeast, with this latest release the largest liberation of hostages.
Five commanders from the extremist group were exchanged for the girls' freedom, and Nigeria's government has said it would make further exchanges to bring the remaining schoolgirls home.
"We have trust in this government, definitely they will rescue the rest safely and back to us alive," community leader Yakubu Nkeki told The Guardian.
The mass abduction in April 2014 launched a global 'Bring Back Our Girls' campaign on social media, garnering support from celebrities including former US First Lady Michelle Obama. It brought international attention to Boko Haram's deadly insurgency in northern Nigeria.
The release of the 82 schoolgirls this month came after an initial group of 21 girls was released in October.
Newshub.
