Abuja: Militants Boko Haram group have released 82 schoolgirls from a group of 276 they abducted in north-eastern Nigeria three years ago, the president's office says.
They were handed over in exchange for Boko Haram suspects after negotiations, according to the (BBC).
The abduction triggered a global outcry and sparked a huge social media campaign.
The Nigerian presidency expressed in a statement deep gratitude to the Government of Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross, for playing a role in the operation.
Boko Haram militants abducted 270 school girls from a school in Chibok in northern Nigeria in April 2014. A total of 57 girls escaped on their own.
Last October, 21 girls were freed after negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokered by the ICRC and the Swiss government.
