Nigerian Government allegedly Swapped the 21 Released Chibok Girls for 4 Boko Haram Commanders

According to reports by Daily Trust, The Federal Government allegedly swapped the 21 released Chibok girls for 4 Boko Haram commanders. See the reports by Daily Trust below; 

Jihadist group Boko Haram has released 21 of the more than 200 kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls held since April 2014 in a prisoner swap deal with the Nigerian government, local sources said Thursday.

The girls were exchanged for four Boko Haram militants in Banki, northeast Nigeria, said the local sources.

The Nigerian presidency said in a statement that the girls were released after negotiations between Boko Haram, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Nigerian and Swiss governments.

The statement added that negotiations are ongoing, raising the prospect of more releases.

"It is confirmed that 21 of the missing Chibok girls have been released and are in the custody of the department of state services," presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said in the statement.

"The release of the girls... is an outcome of negotiations between the administration and the Boko Haram brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government," Shehu said. "The negotiations will continue."

"The girls were brought to Kumshe, which is 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Banki where a military base is stationed, in ICRC vehicles," said a local source.

"The four Boko Haram militants were brought to Banki from Maiduguri in a military helicopter from where they were driven to Kumshe in ICRC vehicles."

From Kumshe, the Chibok girls were taken by helicopter to Maiduguri, the capital of northeast Borno state.

"The 21 (Chibok) girls arrived (in) Banki around 3:00 am (0200 GMT) where they found a military helicopter waiting. They were immediately ushered into the helicopter and flown to Maiduguri," said another local source.

This is not the first prisoner swaps between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government and won't be the last. the source added.