A video circulating online has shattered the official narrative around the release of the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls, with bandits boldly claiming that the Nigerian government begged for negotiations because it could not rescue the students by force.
This new clip, posted by @AM_Saleeem on X, directly contradicts the government’s confident announcement that no ransom was paid for the release of the Government Girls Secondary School, Maga students abducted last week.
In the footage, armed bandits grill the frightened schoolgirls about the military jets that circled the forest during their captivity.
When asked how many flew overhead, the girls reply, “uncountable,” prompting the gunmen to sneer at the authorities’ failed rescue attempts.
“Did we leave you hungry?” a bandit asked.
“No,” the girls responded.
“Were you assaulted in any way?”
“No,” they answered again.
Another kidnapper steps in, hammering home their claim of a negotiated release:
“We will take you back home safe to your parents, we are doing this based on peace deals.”
He continued mocking the state’s might.
“How many helicopters did you see hover around?” The girls say they lost count.
And then the final blow, the bandits’ on-camera declaration of victory, “We are letting you go after negotiations. Your government cannot rescue you with might. Your government has failed.”
The video surfaced just hours after Kebbi State governor Nasir Idris and Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle celebrated the girls’ freedom.
The students, seized after attackers stormed their school and killed the vice-principal, were later seen smiling inside a bus as officials prepared to move them to Birnin Kebbi, the state capital. Authorities say they will be reunited with their parents today (Wednesday).
