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Chibok schoolgirls: Group 'freed' in Nigeria Chibok schoolgirls: Group 'freed' in Nigeria
(35 minutes later)
Twenty-one of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been freed, a senior Nigerian government official has told the BBC.Twenty-one of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been freed, a senior Nigerian government official has told the BBC.
It is thought that they are now with the security services in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri. The official wanted to remain anonymous and the government has not issued a statement.
It is not yet clear how the girls were rescued. Previous reports of the girls' release have turned out to be wrong.
The Islamist militant group kidnapped more than 250 students from a school in Chibok in April 2014 - an act that provoked international condemnation. The Islamist militant group kidnapped more than 270 students from a school in Chibok in April 2014 - an act that provoked international condemnation.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. It also sparked one of the biggest global social media campaigns, with tweeters using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.
If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. The BBC's Martin Patience in Nigeria says the government official did not say how the kidnapped students had been rescued.
But the military is currently carrying out a large-scale operation in the Sambisa forest, which is a Boko Haram stronghold.
There has only been one confirmed release of a student kidnapped from Chibok more than two years ago.
In May, a 19-year-old woman was found carrying by an army-backed vigilante group.
After that it was believed that 218 students were still missing - more than 50 managed to escape on the day they were captured.
Boko Haram has also kidnapped thousands of other people during its seven-year insurgency in north-east Nigeria.