Chief of defence staff says army will not exchange Chibok girls for Boko Haram insurgents

CHIEF of defence staff General Abayomi Olonishakin has ruled out the possibility of the military exchanging the Chibok girls for arrested Boko Haram insurgents after the terrorist sect published a Youtube video of the abducted pupils.

 

Last week, Boko Haram, published a video showing some of the girls, getting one of them to announce that several of her colleagues have been killed by Nigerian Air Force strikes. It is believed that Boko Haram is holding on to the girls in the hope that they can be exchanged for some of its members being held in custody.

 

However, General Olonishakin has ruled out swapping the abducted Government Girls Secondary School Chibok pupils for Boko Haram insurgents, adding that military operations against the sect would continue.  General Olonishakin, who spoke at a meeting with service chiefs at the presidential villa, Abuja, said the decision to swap the girls for the sect members was a political one which was not the business of the military.

 

He added: “The military decision is that we are going ahead with our operations. The operation is being conducted appropriately.”

 

General Olonishakin also said the military was still analysing the Boko Haram video released by the sect and would make appropriate comments at the right time. Information minister Lai Mohammed, confirmed that the government was in talks with the Boko Haram sect for the release of the girls.