Nigeria’s ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo has met with people close to Boko Haram in an attempt to broker the release of more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls, a source close to the talks told AFP.The meeting took place last weekend at Obasanjo’s farm in southern Ogun state and included relatives of some senior Boko Haram fighters as well as intermediaries and the former president, the source said.
“The meet...ing was focused on how to free the girls through negotiation,” said the source who requested anonymity, referring to the girls seized on April 14 from the remote northeastern town of Chibok, Borno state.
Reports of the talks emerged as Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, said the girls had been located while casting doubt on the prospect of rescuing them by force.
Obasanjo, who left office in 2007, has previously sought to negotiate with the insurgents, including in September 2011 after Boko Haram bombed the United Nations headquarters in Abuja.
Then, he flew to the Islamists’ base in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, to meet relatives of former Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed in police custody in 2009.
The 2011 talks did not help stem the violence and some at the time doubted if Obasanjo was dealing with people who were legitimately capable of negotiating a ceasefire.
Spokesmen for the former head of state, who remains an influential figure in Nigerian politics, could not be reached to comment on the latest reported Boko Haram talks.
But the source told AFP that Obasanjo had voiced concern about Nigeria’s acceptance of foreign military personnel to help rescue the girls.
At what end will we stop negotiating? It will never end once we start.
ReplyDeleteCan USA, isreal n oda foriegn body ℓ̊n̶̲̥̅̊ nigeria for d release of dis girls gv us result of D̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ effort? Because ℓ̊ can't see D̶̲̥̅̊ε̲̣̣̣̥γ impact o̶̲̥̅̊n̶̲̥̅̊ dis issue, is it now dat d ministry of defense will be telling nigerian inderictely to negotiate wit boko haram? ℓ̊ simile some falw play ℓ̊n̶̲̥̅̊ dis issue, ℓ̊ A̶̲̥̅̊m̶̲̥̅̊ just sorry 4 d president who is being surranded by bad n wicked people ℓ̊n̶̲̥̅̊ his government. Swap human beings with animals. ℓ̊ A̶̲̥̅̊m̶̲̥̅̊ just short of words, but all ℓ̊ know is dat dis boko haram n school girls issue is a plan work by anti Jonathan n nigeria ℓ̊n̶̲̥̅̊ general.
ReplyDeleteHow are you sure it's Jonathan that is planning d whole tin to distabized the North in other to win election easily in 2015?I mean why didn't him crushed d bh b4 they abducted the girls?He had more than a year to do that but he choose to allow them to do as they wish bcuz Maiduguri was n still is under emergency rule n dat means all d security chiefs reports n take orders fm d Presidency not d Governor.Some ppl r blaming d Governor out of ignorance of d meaning of state of emergency.Pls tell Mr president to give us peace n let continue wit his misrule 4 d next 4yrs'he dosn't have to kill Nigerians to stay in power.God will expose him at d rite time.What of all the suspects arrested?Are they not saying anything to the authorities?They can aleast expose their sponsors n the whereabout of their leaders.They've been arresting suspects 4 d past 2 yrs n notin happened.2morrow Olisa Metsu will tell us it's Atiku or Buhari dar r sponsoring BH.Eh established evidence n let some of d suspects fingered Atiku,Buhar or Tinubu as their sponsors then arrest them n bring them to justice if truely d Federal Government have no hand in all these crises.
Delete@4:58 I don't think jonathan agrees with you that he is surrounded by bad people. Infact he has sacked the bad ones the under performers as they claim. But I think you agree that he fires the good ones and what he has know are the stinky ones. So why blame the bad ones when it is his choice, I think as a president he is responsible for his cabinet.
ReplyDeleteTill then the stinky remains.
@ 5;29 u re most correct.
ReplyDeleteSo dey re people close 2 Boko Haram am so asharmed of dis blessed country yet no remedy some dat can change d country 4 good will first change his life a country without a vision no news dat u will ever hear dat will be in favour of d masses dy 4got dat no wicked will ever go unpunished
ReplyDeleteObasanjo knows d politics of d North very well. Jonathan listened 2 bad advisers from d North who advised him 2 do away wit Obasanjo so dat they will deal wit him as they re doin now. If he has been so close 2 OBJ like he was in 2010 when Yar Adua died we wont be in dis mess. OBJ would have helped him 2 stabilize his govt, d same Northerners dat were calling for OBJ's head are d same pple praising him now becos he is trying to push Sule Lamido for president. I believe he can help in releasing d abducted chibok girls as he understands d politics of d North and probably knows d right button 2 push and he might even know who d sponsors of BH are. He and IBB understand themselves. Remeber gov Babangida Aliyu asked Abdulsalami Abubarkar 2 help beg IBB 2 assist in ending insurgency in d North in 3 months time. So i believe solution its in sight.
ReplyDeleteIt's a PITY
ReplyDelete6:22 you are too right in that comment. Jonathan is responsible for the unrest in the north east because he is not popular there. God will unmask him and his cohorts.
ReplyDelete