Nigerian parents eager to see 21 girls freed by Boko Haram

A group of Nigerian parents are excitedly waiting to be reunited with 21 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram two and a half years ago, and freed in the first negotiated release organised by Nigeria's government and the Islamic extremist group.

The girls were freed Thursday and flown to Abuja, Nigeria's capital, but it has taken days for the parents to arrive.

Community leader Tsambido Hosea Abana said most arrived Sunday morning after driving 15 hours over potholed roads slowed by military checkpoints and the danger of attacks by the insurgents.

The parents came from around the remote north-eastern town of Chibok, from which nearly 300 girls were kidnapped in an April 2014 mass abduction that shocked the world.

Dozens escaped early on but 197 remain captive. The government says negotiations continue to win their freedom.