A new video has surfaced online showing the armed bandits who abducted 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, claiming that the Nigerian government negotiated with them before the girls were released.
The footage, shared on X by user @AM_Saleeem, appears to contradict the official position of the government, which on Tuesday, November 25, announced that the students were rescued without any ransom payment.
In the video, the bandits—armed and surrounded by the schoolgirls—boast that security forces failed to rescue the victims through military action. One of the abductors is heard interrogating the girls about military aircraft that flew over the forest during their captivity.
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“How many jets passed above you?” one kidnapper asked.
“Uncountable,” the girls replied.
The bandit then mocked the authorities, saying, “Your government cannot rescue you with might. They had to negotiate.”
During the questioning, the abductors also pressed the girls about their welfare in captivity:
“Did we leave you hungry?” one asked.
“No,” the girls responded.
“Were you assaulted in any way?” he followed.
“No,” they answered.
Another kidnapper added that they were freeing the girls as part of a peace deal, saying, “We will take you back home safe to your parents. We are doing this based on peace deals.”
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He further taunted the authorities, saying: “We are letting you go after negotiations. Your government has failed.”
The Kebbi schoolgirls were abducted last week, sparking nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over rising insecurity and the safety of schools in northern Nigeria.
Their release on Tuesday was widely celebrated, but this new video has raised fresh questions about the government’s true strategy in dealing with banditry.
Authorities have yet to respond to the latest claims circulating online.