Nigeria's government says Boko Haram extremists have released three university lecturers and 10 women who had been kidnapped in separate raids last year.

Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said Saturday the release of the 13 people follows negotiations directed by President Muhammadu Buhari and facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. It said the 13 are now in the custody of the Department of State Security Services in Abuja.

The university lecturers were abducted while conducting oil evaluations in the Lake Chad area last year. Many of their colleagues were killed. The 10 women had been kidnapped in a raid on a military convoy last year on Damboa road near Maiduguri.

The ICRC said it acted only as a facilitator at the talks.