Chibok two years on: mothers say their daughters are in new Boko Haram video

Chibok schoolgirls in the 2014 video released by Boko Haram

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Three mothers of schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in northeast听Nigeria two years ago said they had identified their daughters听in a video released by Islamist group Boko Haram 国产视频� the first听possible sighting of the girls since a video in May 2014.

About 15 girls featured in the video released to local听officials yesterday, saying they were from the Government Girls听Secondary School in Chibok and pleading with the Nigerian听government to co-operate with Boko Haram on their release.

The girls were filmed saying they were being treated well听but wanted to go home and be with their families.

Boko Haram militants abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok on听April 14, 2014, with 57 students managing to escape but 219听still missing despite the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign involving celebrities and United States First Lady Michelle Obama.

Various false leads have raised hopes of finding the girls听but their whereabouts remains unknown.

Mothers Rifkatu Ayuba and Mary Ishaya said they recognised听their daughters, Saratu and Hauwa, in the video, while a third听mother, Yana Galang, identified five of the missing girls. Local听officials said more identifications were needed.

国产视频淭he girls were looking very, very well,国产视频� Galang said in a听telephone interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation after听viewing the video at a screening organised by local officials in听Maiduguri, capital of Borno state in northeast Nigeria.

The three mothers were invited to the viewing by the chairman听of Chibok local government area, Bana Lawan, who confirmed that听he had paid their travel costs to Maiduguri, the state capital.

The kidnapping of the girls has become a political issue in听Nigeria with the government and military criticised for their听handling of the incident and failing to track down the girls.

#BringBackOurGirls protest on first anniversary of the abduction

国产视频淭hey were definitely our daughters 国产视频� all we want is for听the government to bring back our girls,国产视频� said Galang, adding听all the girls were wearing hijabs in the video.

No member of Boko Haram was visible in the video and local听officials were not immediately available to give details on how听they received the video.

国产视频淲e only heard a man国产视频檚 voice and saw his finger pointing at听the girls one after the other,国产视频� Galang said.

She said the girls in the video spoke in Hausa, a language听widely spoken in Nigeria, and Kibaku, the local Chibok language.

Galang said one mother, Ayuba, was relieved to see her听daughter as she had heard a rumour shortly after the kidnapping听that her daughter had been killed by Boko Haram.

国产视频淪he was very happy to see her in the video 国产视频� her daughter听is alive,国产视频� Galang said.

About 2000 girls and boys have been abducted by the Boko听Haram since 2014, with many used as sex slaves, fighters and听even suicide bombers, according to Amnesty International.

This week a report from the United Nations children国产视频檚 fund听UNICEF said Boko Haram child 国产视频渟uicide bombings国产视频� have surged听11-fold in West Africa over the last year, with children as听young as eight, mostly girls, used to bomb schools and markets. UNICEF said there were 44 child 国产视频渟uicide bombings国产视频� in West听Africa in 2015, up from four in 2014, mostly in Cameroon and听Nigeria.

Boko Haram国产视频檚 six-year campaign to set up an Islamic emirate听in northeastern Nigeria has killed some 15,000 people, according听to the US military.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, covers humanitarian news, women国产视频檚 rights, corruption and climate change.