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Nigerian schoolgirls release: Calls for transparency over hostage negotiations

A group of nearly 300 girls who were kidnapped from a school in north-western Nigeria last week have been released.The authorities have not made it clear whether or not a ransom was paid for the girls' release but some observers say it is unlikely that the gunmen would release their victims without some sort of exchange.

Osai Ojigho,  Director of Amnesty International, Nigeria, says that she believes the government is not being transparent about the negotiations, and this lack of transparency is putting people at a higher risk, rather than "addressing impunity and punishing wrongdoers".

Photo: Two of the girls kidnapped from their school in northern Nigeria seen on their release 2 March 2020 Credit: Getty Images

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4 minutes