Negotiation With Boko Haram Over Chibok Girls Still On- FG

Contrary to speculations that talks with Boko Haram over the remaining 197 abducted Chibok girls have broken down, the Federal Government has insisted that negotiation for their release is ongoing.

Three weeks ago, 21 of the girls were released, a development that rekindled the hope that others will get freedom.

One of the girls was found at the weekend with a baby. Troops of the 121 Battalion, Nigerian Army deployed at Pulka, Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State, found Maryam Ali Maiyanga and her 10- month-old baby while screening escapees from Sambisa Forest.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated that there was no truth in the speculation making the rounds in Abuja.

The minister told said that the talks were still on, though he did not give details because of the security nature of the negotiation.

An earlier effort in the last few days to get information on the negotiations did not yield any positive result as security sources would not discuss the matter. Worse, there was no word from official security agencies as the Department of State Services (DSS) remains without a spokesman.

“It is not true (that the talks have broken down). Talks are still very much on course,” was all Mohammed volunteered.

Another source disclosed that as recently as last week Monday, when questions were put to the security services, they volunteered that negotiations were still on. “We make it our business to find out the level of negotiations going on, and of course with the way we asked, it was not possible for them to deceive us on the matter,” the source added.

It was learnt that the alleged freeze in discussions followed the failure of both parties to agree on the issue of money, though it could not be confirmed what money had to do with the negotiations, since the government has continued to maintain that it did not pay for the release of the first 21 girls.

The source said the insurgents’ negotiators appear to be asking for more money and release of some of their men in the government custody. “They are not happy with the initial claim that the girls were released for free,” a source said.