Politics

Boko Haram wants immunity for release of Chibok girls

Published

8 years ago

May 22, 2016

Boko Haram wants immunity for release of Chibok girls

If reports emanating from the violent Islamist group, Boko Haram, is anything to go by, then abducted students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, may soon regain their freedom

The insurgents are reportedly ready for a deal with the Nigerian government to release the remaining girls in exchange for assurances that they would not be executed.

The girls, who were abducted while preparing for their final exams, have been with their abductors for more than two years. However, the Nigerian Military and the Civilian JTF, were able to rescue one of the girls, Amina Ali, while a second girl found, Serah Luka, has question marks hanging on claims she is one of the kidnapped girls from the community.

According to a report in The Times, leaders of the Boko Haram, who spoke to a Nigerian newspaper on Friday, said they are willing to negotiate a surrender and release the hostages on the condition they would not be not betrayed by the government or killed for giving up arms.

Read also: Abducted Kwara APC chairman, secretary regain freedom

“We want to surrender because things are getting worse,” Amir Muhammad Abdullahi, Boko Haram’s second in command reportedly said.

He was also quoted to have said that no side was winning the battle and that only a third of the girls remained as “the rest have been martyred”.

It would be recalled that there had reports of Boko Haram’s readiness to surrender on a number of occasions, with the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan reportedly entering into negotiations with a group that turned out to be the wrong leadership of the insurgents.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now