Scores of abducted girls freed in Nigeria

Education official confirmed release of 44 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters in restive Borno state. At least 44 of the 129 schoolgirls abducted in the Northeastern Nigerian town of Chibok have been released, and have reunited with their parents, according to the Borno state education commissioner, Al-Jazeera reported. Education Commissioner Muso Inowu Kubo confirmed the release to Al Jazeera on Friday, not providing further details. The schoolgirls, aged between 15 and 18, were kidnapped on Monday in a mass abduction by fighters belonging to Boko Haram, a group blamed for widespread attacks that have left hundreds dead in recent months. The Associated Press news agency reported on Friday that the military was searching for more the 85 girls still missing in the Sambisa Forest, which is known to be a hiding place for Boko Haram fighters. The military had mistakenly announced that it had freed all the girls from their captors, before redacting their statement. A town official had responded saying that people angry at the military's false statement and failure to find the abductees were taking the initiative and searching the forest themselves. The armed group has been on a rampage this week that started with a massive bombing attack on a busy bus station at rush hour on Monday in Abuja, the capital in the center of the country, that killed at least 75 people. Twenty others were killed in attacks on two villages. And a soldier and police officer guarding the school in Chibok also were killed, AP reported. More than 1,500 people have been killed in the fighting this year, compared to an estimated 3,600 between 2010 and 2013. The attacks have undermined the Nigerian government and military claims that they are containing the unrest in the extreme Northeast of the country.