Nigerian Gov and Boko Haram Reach Ceasefire Pact
KABUL: (Middle East Press) The Nigerian government and the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists have agreed to a ceasefire that will ease the release of over 200 schoolgirls detained in April by the group.
Speaking in a conference with senior military officials from Nigeria and Cameroon in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Friday, the head of Nigeria’s military, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, said a truce agreement had been made between the government and the insurgents.
“I have accordingly directed the service chiefs to guarantee urgent compliance with this development,” he said.
Government security spokesman Mike Omeri stated that the deal included the release of the schoolgirls and other people held imprisoned by the group.
Another Nigerian government spokesman, Doyin Okupe, announced that a “huge number” of the kidnapped girls would be released soon.
In the meantime, a senior assistant to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, Hassan Tukur, said that the agreement came after a month of negotiations with Boko Haram envoys.
On April 14, Boko Haram insurgents kidnapped 276 students from their secondary school in the northeastern town of Chibok. Reports say 57 of the girls managed to flee but 219 are still missing.
The seizure case has drawn national and international condemnations. The Nigerian administration has been strongly condemned for what is called its failure to restrain the rising violence in the African country.
Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” says its goal is to defeat the Nigerian government.
It has claimed responsibility for a number of toxic shooting attacks and bombings in different parts of Nigeria since the beginning of its operations in 2009, which have left more than 10,000 people dead so far.
