Gunmen release 12 girls in Nigeria a week after kidnapping them.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups:

Suspected extremist militants have released 12 girls who were kidnapped a week ago in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, according to a local official. The head of the Askira Uba government said the girls were taken to the hospital immediately after their release, and that the kidnappers released them without ransom after the army tightened the noose on them in the forests. The region is witnessing an increase in kidnappings, despite the decline in the influence of extremist groups, while "Boko Haram" and "Islamic State - West Africa Province" still pose a threat. The 16-year conflict has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths and the displacement of millions of people, while mass kidnappings continue in other parts of the country by armed gangs seeking to extort ransoms.