Maiduguri, the Borno State capital was yesterday charged with hushed excitement as the news flied around that abducted Chibok schoolgirls might be released anytime between yesterday and today following positive talks with the insurgents in Chad.

This is coming as the 219 Chibok schoolgirls are clocking 200 days in captivity today.

A government official and native of Chibok who spoke with LEADERSHIP Friday but wished not to be quoted said “We are all in high spirit, I just returned from Chibok and from the information reaching us so far, we may very soon – in fact between now and tomorrow (Friday), have our girls freed”.

The same mood was noticed amongst some top security officials in the state who also confirmed that Boko Haram might release the schoolgirls within 48 hours .

A security source who spoke under strict condition of anonymity said “From what we have received so far, the negotiation going on in Chad have recorded tremendous progress and we are looking forward to receiving the girls anytime soon”.

The officer said though, it is too early to start celebrating “because we are dealing with very erratic set of people, we hope that this time around it is for real, because we have been expecting this to happen since Monday”.

The principal of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Mr Asabe Kwambura, where the 219 abducted school girls currently in the captivity of the Boko Haram were taken from on the 14th of April 2014 told this reporter that though she was not aware of the possible release of the girls, the news is a welcomed development.

“I will be very happy to receive the girls; in fact I will go to anywhere they are to receive them; if they are released today, I will be in Abuja to receive them”, she said.

Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo had on two occasions this year said it would take longer time for only few of the Chibok schoolgirls to be found, even as he said many of them may never be seen again.