In spite of serial violation of the ceasefire agreement between the Boko Haram sect and the Federal government, the Federal Government insisted yesterday that negotiations were still ongoing between it and the Boko Haram sect on the release of abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke, who addressed state House Correspondents after a meeting of the National Security Council in Abuja said the service chiefs briefed the council on the negotiation between them and the sect.
He said the recent violation in no way violated government’s resolve to ensure the safe release of the girls.
Yesterday’s meeting was attended by the service chiefs; the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Suleiman Abba; National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki; the Minister of Defence, Aliyu Gusau; the Director General, State Security Service, Mr Ita Ekpeyong and the Chief of Defence staff, Alex Badeh.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, declined to speak to correspondents after the meeting which lasted about two hours.
Badeh had a couple of weeks ago announced that Boko Haram had agreed to a ceasfire and directed all field commanders to respect it. Following suspicion that the group negotiating with the government was not the right one, the self acclaimed Secretary General of Boko Haram, Mallam Danladi Ahmadu, last Friday insisted that the group’s ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government was on course.
He disclosed that the final meeting between the group and the Federal Government to finally seal the ceasefire agreement had been scheduled for last Monday in Ndjamena, Chad to be supervised by the Chadian leader, Idris Derby. Ahmadu who spoke in the Hausa service of the Voice of America, VOA, assured that an enlarged meeting of the group had been fixed to prepare ground for last Monday meeting with the Federal Government that would lead to eventual release of the girls to Chadian President, Idriss Derby for onward presentation to the Nigerian government.
The high expectation was however dashed as the girls were not released last Monday as promised by Boko Haram’s representative.