President Goodluck Jonathan has ruled out freeing Boko Haram prisoners
in exchange for the release of more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls.
Minister of Special Duties Tanimu Turaki, had earlier said authorities
were ready to negotiate with Boko Haram, but the President insisted
yesterday that this was out of the question.
“He made it very clear that there will be no negotiation with Boko Haram
that involves a swap of abducted schoolgirls for prisoners,” said British
Africa Minister Mark Simmonds after meeting Dr. Jonathan in Abuja, to discuss
an international recue mission for the girls, according to the BBC.
The April 15 kidnapping has caused international outrage, and foreign
teams of experts are in the country to assist the security forces in tracking
them down.
The United States has deployed a drone in the search for the abducted
Chibok girls as Britain offered a surveillance plane and a military team to
help.
The over 200 girls were abducted from their dormitories.