We have managed to go on and on about the released girls that were released by Boko Haram today without putting the spotlight on the real heroes of the day – the girls!

They are the ones who have stayed strong for over two years in captivity. They did not allow themselves to dissolve under the acidic conditions of abduction by the evil group, Boko Haram and today is their day really. It should not be about anything else but the girls. Their welcome, continued and uninterrupted safety, compensation, rehabilitation, stigma-free reintegration into society and just general show of love towards them.

The Presidency confirmed the release with a promise that the “names of the released girls follows shortly”. Before that happens, here are 5 things to know about the girls:

1. Where are they?

They are currently in custody of the Department of State Security which is headed by Mallam Lawal Daura. The DSS, Nigeria’s number one security agency, had been at the forefront of the negotiations until the Red Cross and Swiss government took over as a more trusted intermediary for both sides.

2. Who are the girls?

The identity of the girls that were released today is yet to be confirmed. The Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity in his address promised that the names of the released girls will be provided soon. It is safe to say that consultations are being made now to verify the identity of the girls, especially with their parents and credible groups like the Bring Back Our Girls campaigners that have been actively involved in the cause since April, 2014.

3. The release of the girls took place in Banki where the girls were picked up by helicopter and taken straight to Abuja after a prisoner swap had been conducted. It is reported (by Sahara Reporters) that four Boko Haram prisoners were released in order to secure the girls’ release.

They are to be officially welcomed by Vice President ‘Yemi Osinbajo later. The President departed to Germany immediately after being briefed by the DSS boss on the release.

4. Was the #BBOG campaign group involved in their release?

No. While the Bring Back Our Girls campaign group has been the foremost civil society mounting pressure on the Nigerian government to secure the release of the girls, the group was not part of the negotiation process. Last month, Abdulai Abubakar, spokesperson for the group issued a statement where he confirmed that the #BBOG will not be part of the negotiations but will continue to monitor closely what happens during the process.

5. Are some of the girls really mothers now?

There are unconfirmed reports in the News that 18 of the 21 girls are nursing mothers. This was first reported by Sahara Reporters via Twitter. Although there is currently no means of confirming this rumour, it might not be far from the truth truth.

Earlier this year, one of the girls, Amina Ali Nkeki, escaped on her own. Shortly after her release Nkeki told her family that some of the kidnapped girls died of illness and that others, like her, have been married to fighters and are pregnant or already have babies. This single piece of information from someone who was also abducted might be the proof that some of the released girls are now mothers.

Whatever the case, we are happy about this development and hope that the girls will be properly rehabilitated and that their reintegration into the society will be as smooth as possible.