SENIOR military figures within the Nigerian armed forces have expressed disquiet about the recent handing over of 21 Government Girls Secondary School Chibok pupils claiming that five Boko Haram commanders were exchanged as part of the deal.
On Thursday, 21 of the Chibok girls were released by Boko Haram and subsequently picked up by a military helicopter in the Banki area of Borno State. They are among the 209 pupils abducted by the terrorist sect in April 2014 and their release is seen as part of an exchange programme believed to have been agreed between the terrorists and the government.
Some security personnel, said that while the return of the Chibok pupils is worth celebrating, those in the armed services are not pleased with what Nigeria gave in exchange for the girls. Troops and some military commanders are further worried by the fact that the release of terrorist commanders could impact negatively on the ongoing campaign to flush out the insurgents from across northeast Nigeria.
Some of the troops were not happy that Boko Haram commanders, who had killed civilians and security personnel, were traded for the girls. Investigations revealed that senior military figures in strategic places only knew of the release of the girls when the news broke on Thursday.
One security source said, however: “You must understand that it is not all information that we release to people as the lives of those girls were at stake. Negotiations securely rest on the shoulders of political leaders but that does not mean that military operations will not continue.
"We must protect the civilian populace from attacks and build confidence in the citizenry. It was a political decision and we are under the political leadership as we derive our mandate from the constitution as provided for by democratic governance."
He added that military action must continue and it is going on as planned as troops are working round the clock, in concert with other security agencies, to ensure that the remaining girls are also rescued. So far, the Nigerian Army is yet to confirm that Boko Haram commanders were traded for the girls and yesterday, vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo flatly denied that this happened.
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