According to footage obtained by The ICIR, the armed group behind the Kebbi schoolgirl abduction has attributed their release to elder-mediated dialogue, a revelation where official victory claims collide with militant testimony, exposing the fragile line between negotiated settlements and sovereign authority in conflict resolution.
Key Points:
Terrorists released a video showing schoolgirls confirming the date as November 25
Armed group claimed ‘elders’ intervened to secure the students’ release
Girls confirmed they were not harmed or left hungry during captivity
Captors explicitly denied that any military force led to their freedom
Students stated they could not count the number of military aircraft searching
Footage showed men farming in the background, suggesting a rural setting
The presidency had previously confirmed dialogue used in other kidnap cases
When freedom comes through channels outside state authority, it raises profound questions about where true power resides in resolving conflicts—and what remains unspoken in official victory announcements.
Sources: The ICIR