Ceasefire Agreement: Boko Haram To Release Chibok Girls On Monday

There are strong indications that the 218 schoolgirls abducted six months ago in Chibok, Borno State, by the violent Boko Haram sect may be released on Monday following a ceasefire agreement between the sect and the Federal Government. The Federal Government, through the Nigerian military, had on Friday said that it had agreed to a ceasefire with the violent sect and that the Chibok girls would soon be released. The deal was announced by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh. “A ceasefire agreement has been concluded between the Federal Government and the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal Jihad (Boko Haram).”

The President’s Principal Secretary, Hassan Tukur, told BBC Focus on Africa that an agreement to end the Boko Haram hostilities had been reached after talks with the violent group. “The Boko Haram members have assured us that they have the girls and that they will release them. I am cautiously optimistic.”

Tukur and Danladi Ahmadu, who calls himself the Secretary-General of Boko Haram, told VOA’s Hausa-language service that the abducted girls would be released on Monday in Chad. "The girls are alive and “in good condition and unharmed,” Ahmadu said.

Meanwhile, a Nigerian journalist, Ahmad Salkida, and activist, Shehu Sanni, who had been involved in negotiations with the extremist sect expressed doubt over the ceasefire deal.  “All my attempts to confirm the ceasefire deal did not produce any result. My sources are telling me that they don’t know who that person is. For Boko Haram to reach any ceasefire, such information must come from the leader of the group.
“Any statement that is not coming from the leader of the group cannot be said to be credible and will not be complied with by the group members. The leader is the only person they respect and listen to.”

An analyst for the BBC, Will Ross, said it was a surprising development given the fact that there had not been any indication of negotiations going on between the Federal Government and the militant group. “Nigerian officials had not given any indication that negotiations with Boko Haram were taking place. Even though there had been rumours of talks in neighbouring Chad, this is a very surprising development.

“Many Nigerians are extremely sceptical about the announcement especially as there has been no definitive word from the jihadists. The military has in the past released statements about the conflict in North-East Nigeria that have turned out to be completely at odds with the situation on the ground. So many here will only celebrate when the violence stops and the hostages are free.”

Credits: BBC / Punch