BOKO Haram has agreed to release 83 more of the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok pupils it abducted over two years ago but on the strict condition that the government pays it a huge ransom and lets free about 16 of its commanders currently being held.
In April 2014, Boko Haram abducted over 200 girls from their boarding school in Chibok in Borno State and despite a concerted international campaign refused to release them. Last week, however, 21 of the girls were set free after negotiations involving the Swiss government secured a partial deal.
As negotiations for the expected next phase of the release of 83 Chibok girls begins this week, there were indications Boko Haram is insisting that this time around, its conditions must be met. One source close to the negotiations said that unlike the 21 girls who were freed by the sect last Thursday, to test government’s level of commitment and sincerity, the release of the remaining of them may be based strictly on ransom payment and freedom for no fewer than 16 Boko Haram commanders held by the government.
Of the 219 girls still missing, there are about104 left in the hands of the sect while the rest had long been married off by top commanders and converted to Islam. Sheikh Abubakar Shekau, the Boko Haram leader, added that many of the abducted girls are now even members of the sect.
He added: “The truth is that those Chibok girls are now Boko Haram members, having married the sect members and become radicalised. The remaining 83 girls are with a top leaders of Boko Haram and those are the only ones we are going to work for their release in the next phase of our negotiations which starts immediately.
"The others had since become Boko Haram members, having been married off and radicalised into Boko Haram as soon as they were captured over two years ago.”
One source close to the negotiations, said: “I think the guys are settled on the idea that the cash must come ahead of the release since they had proved to government that they are reliable by releasing the 21 girls, last week without many conditions attached.
Asked if the sect leaders were unsure of government’s sincerity to keep its own side of the bargain, the source said that the Boko Haram representatives had shown that they have confidence in the government. Also, the lingering challenge regarding getting back all the girls arose from the fact that while some of them are with a faction loyal to Sheikh Benawhi, the rest are being kept by the group loyal to Abubakar Shekau.
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