Kidnapped Dapchi schoolgirls 'freed in Nigeria'.
REUTERSThe girls were taken from a boarding school in Dapchi, Yobe state, in FebruaryThe majority of the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by militants from the town of Dapchi last month have been returned, the government says.
Nigeria's Ministry of Information says 76 of the 110 schoolgirls were brought back in the early hours of this morning following "back channel efforts".
The army then "paused" its operations in the area to ensure "lives were not lost", the statement continued.
However, the statement did not address reports a number of the girls had died.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in the statement that girls were released "unconditionally" and "with the help of some friends of the country".
"The government had a clear understanding that violence and confrontation would not be the way out as it could endanger the lives of the girls, hence a non-violent approach was the preferred option," Mr Mohammed added.
He also revealed the numbers could go up because the girls were not handed over to anyone in particular, allowing for an official count.
