By Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

The excitement that has greeted reports that some of the Chibok girls kidnapped in April by Boko Haram insurgents have been freed might have been misplaced as the latest indications are that none of them was released as rumoured.

News had filtered around on Tuesday evening that some of the students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, kidnapped on April 14 had been released and that they were driven to the military barracks in Maimalari.

But investigations by our reporter in Borno State, show that what happened is that some of the kidnapped girls who had escaped from the insurgents few days after they were abducted were taken to the Maimalari barrack, where the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army is domiciled, so that they could be escorted to schools outside Borno State.

A military source said in Maiduguri that the girls had escaped from their abductors months ago and that the state government had arranged for them to be transferred to schools in Kaduna and Abuja to further their education as earlier promised by the Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima.

It was reliably gathered that 35 girls in all were taken to the barracks in Maimalari to be escorted to their new schools and that people of the town might have thought that the girls were recently rescued or released by their Boko Haram abductors

A group of girls were cited a few hours ago by journalists at the Government House, Maiduguri conveyed in two 18-sitter buses with registration numbers BH 750BWL and MGM 33XA. The busses were also filled with luggage, seemingly confirming the report that they were being transported outside the state capital.

They were accompanied to the Government House by a large detachment of troops in two military vehicles.

Our correspondent also reports that the atmosphere at the Government House was normal and without the excitement that would have greeted the release of any of the Cibok girl who have spent more than five months in captivity.