Until recently, the government has said it was prepared to talk with the erstwhile Boko Haram leader Sheikh Abubakar Shekau but earlier this month, a new faction of the sect appeared. On August 3, Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (Isis) said it recognised Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the Boko Haram leader, effectively splitting the organisation.
Sheikh Shekau has since appeared in a Youtube video stating that he remains the authentic Boko Haram leader but the split has left government negotiators confused about who to talk with. Brigadier Ojo, who used to work at defence headquarters, has said the way around the dilemma is to speak with the two wings of Boko Haram.
He said it was important to do that in order to ensure the safe return of schoolgirls abducted from their school hostel in 2014. Already Sheikh Shekau has said the sect was ready to exchange the abducted Government Girls Secondary School Chibok pupils for its fighters currently in federal government’s detention.
Brigadier Ojo said: “I commend the federal government for their willingness to negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of the Chibok girls. When you consider what the young girls and their parents have gone through in the past two years, one could understand why it is necessary for the federal government to negotiate for their release.
"The fact that Boko Haram has expressed its willingness to negotiate should be seen as a window of opportunity that should be exploited. The breakup of the sects into two factions should not necessarily constitute an impediment to negotiation and I suggest that the federal government should constitute a committee made up of seasoned and credible Nigerians to negotiate separately on its behalf with the two factions.
He added that a third party should be involved in the negotiations. According to Brigadier Ojo, this arrangement will engender trust in the negotiations and at the same time eliminate the fear of non-compliance with the agreement reached.
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