The party therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be steadfast in his commitment to ensure the release of all the Chibok girls as well as others being held captive by the terrorists.
(AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba).
President Muhammadu Buhari has described the rescue of 82 Chibok schoolgirls as a pleasant second anniversary gift to Nigerians.
The Nigerian government said it was dedicated to the release of all hostages held by Boko Haram.
The 82 girls were freed Saturday in exchange for an unspecified number of detained Boko Haram suspects, Buhari's office said in a statement.
A government source told Xinhua on Saturday that at least 82 out of the more than 200 Chibok girls that were kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 in Nigeria's restive northeastern Borno State had been released. The official who confirmed the release spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to reporters on the matter.
The Nigerian government denied paying a ransom in the October release, and insisted no imprisoned Boko Haram fighters were turned loose.
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The extended trip prompted wild speculation in Nigeria about the state of Buhari's health-or even whether he had died-but the president's team has remained tight-lipped about the nature of his illness.
The kidnapping was one of the high-profile incidents of Boko Haram's insurgency in Nigeria's northeast, now in its eighth year and with little sign of ending.
Last year, a first group of 21 Chibok girls was freed in October, and they have been in government care in Abuja for medical attention, trauma counseling and rehabilitation. Human rights groups have criticized the government's decision to keep the girls in custody in Abuja, almost 900 kilometers (560 miles) from Chibok. At the meeting he promised to spare no effort to secure the release of the 100 or more girls still missing.
"The recent release came nearly seven months after the terrorists group handed over 21 other abducted girls to the Nigerian government following ongoing negotiation between the Federal government and the group".
"I can confirm they have been released", said a senior government minister, who asked not to be identified, adding that an official statement would be released later.
The group representing the families of the girls said they were awaiting confirmation on how many had been released.
Experts also believe that Boko Haram also forces its kidnap victims into becoming suicide bombers.
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