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Islamist militants of the Boko Haram group have released at least 80 schoolgirls from a group of 276 they abducted in north-eastern Nigeria three years ago, officials say.

The release reportedly came after talks with the government, though few details are confirmed.

The abduction of the so-called "Chibok girls" triggered a global outcry and sparked a huge social media campaign.

Before the latest release, about 195 of the girls were still missing.

Sources told the BBC that the young women were now in the custody of the Nigerian army.

They were brought by road convoy from a remote area to an army base in Banki near the Cameroon border.

The BBC's Stephanie Hegarty in Lagos says that many families in Chibok will be rejoicing at this latest news, but more than 100 of the girls taken have yet to be returned.

Christian pastor Enoch Mark, whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, told Agence France-Presse: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released." It was unclear whether his daughters had been freed.

A military source told the agency the freed girls would be flown to Borno's state capital of Maiduguri on Sunday.