In April 2014, 276 female students from the Nigerian town of Chibok were kidnapped. Of that number 197 are still missing.

The BBC reported on Monday morning that during an emotional ceremony on Sunday in the capital Abuja, one of the girls said they had survived for 40 days without food and narrowly escaped death at least once.

“It is unclear how the release was negotiated, but an official says talks are under way to free some more girls,” the BBC reported.

“We had no food for one month and 10 days but we did not die. We thank God,” one of the released girls said.

Nigerian authorities have denied reports that captured Boko Haram fighters were swapped for the girls. But one security official told the BBC that four commanders had been freed.

The AP news agency further reported that a “handsome ransom”, in the millions of dollars, was paid by the Swiss government on behalf of the Nigerian government.

Nigeria’s Information Minister Lai Mohammed said Thursday’s release was “the first step” for the liberation of all the remaining girls, the BBC reported.

“Already we are on phase two and we are already in discussions,” he told journalists on Sunday.

Following the abduction some of the girls died in captivity, a few managed to escape within hours of being kidnapped, while there are reports that some have married Boko Haram militants and don’t want to return home.

During their captivity, some of the Christian girls were forced to convert to Islam

ANA