Boko Haram are reportedly ready to release some of the
abducted Chibok girls following a secret negotiation with the group commander.
According to The Nation, they want to exchange the female
students kidnapped in April for 18 key sect members currently in
detention.
Some disagreements appeared last night however as the Nigerian
authorities wanted Boko Haram to release all the 219 girls
missing for almost 5 months, while the latter agreed to free only
30.
It has been gathered from the sources that the group directed a
list of its commanders and the names of students to be swapped
to the Civil Rights Congress President, Comrade Shehu Sani.
The emergence of swap possibility is believed to have appeared
after there were held secret talks between a government
delegation and a Boko Haram commander identified as Umar, who
is being detained in Kuje Prison in Abuja.
The source was quoted saying:
“Some top officials met with Umar about two
weeks ago in Kuje Prison to discuss issues
connected to the fate of the Chibok girls. We
heard some inmates sharing this information
that the sect might swap the girls with Umar
and others. But all the details are still secret
because Umar keeps to himself a lot.”

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau
Another source claimed the negotiations had been successful
adding that the sides had agreed on the deal.
“The delegation had a fruitful negotiation with
Umar, who is one of the highly-rated
commanders of Boko Haram. The group
assured Umar of a swap and he has been
looking forward to it. The sect has given a list
of 18 of its members to be swapped with the
abducted Chibok girls.”
Some security operatives have allegedly warned the government
that the release of 30 girls was a dangerous move when there
was “no full assurance that all the girls will be released”.
One of the sources said:
“So, technically, the release of 30 girls was
unacceptable to the government based on the
advice of some security agents.”
However another source added:
“You can see why Nigerians should stop
blaming Boko Haram from continuously
keeping these girls in captivity. What is of
concern now is to get even these 30 girls out
to prove to the whole world that they are
alive.”
Sani when contacted refused to provide any comment on the issue
last night.
It would be recalled that Sani, who has experience of direct
negotiations with Boko Haram, shortly after the
abduction predicted that the insurgents might use the girls as
means of releasing their comrades-prisoners rather than kill the
hostages.
Soon the militants’ leader Abubakar Shekau released the video
showing the students and provided the option to swap the girls for
Boko Haram prisoners .
Sani was among those who urged the authorities to accept the
deal .
The “swap” saga was surrounded by numerous controversies, with
some sources saying that the government made a U-turn when the
deal was close to being secured and other sources insisted that
the deal was stopped by the insurgents .
More than 200 female students were abducted on April 14.
Despite the interference on international powers, human rights
activists, military forces and social campaigners, the majority of
the girls are still missing.