More Details On How Boko Haram/FG Reached "Ceasefire" Agreement

FOLLOWING the ceasefire agreement reached between the Federal Government and Boko Haram, it emerged on Saturday that the over 200 school girls kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State, will not be released in one fell swoop.

It was leant in Abuja that the first batch of the girls could regain freedom in a matter of days.

Sources close to the administration informed that the commanders of Boko Haram had confirmed that the girls would be released in batches.

It was learnt that Boko Haram commanders who negotiated the deal told the government and Chadian authorities that the girls were already scattered in different parts of West Africa and could only be released in batches.

“We expect to receive  the first batch  of the girls in a mater of days,” said a source in the know. He added that the government was sure that the negotiation this time was genuine and had taken place at the highest levels.

Though a source said that the government was hopeful that “a faction of Boko Haram will not disown the ceasefire agreement,” he  further added that the government was ready to fulfill its part of the agreement.

It was gathered that the deal began to materialize when leaders of Boko Haram wrote two letters to President Idriss Derby of Chad.

It was learnt that the Chadian President did not believe the letters and asked his National Security Adviser to investigate their authenticity.

Once the Chadian NSA confirmed that the letters were genuine, the President immediately swung into action, it was learnt.

It was gathered that the Chadian President had been impressed by the discussions between him and President Goodluck  Jonathan weeks ahead of the new development when  Jonathan embarked on what was termed regional security initiative.

Sources said that Jonathan, in trying to see the security initiative through, had visited Chad, France and Cameroun for talks and engaged other regional leaders in fruitful talks.

“The real foundation of the ceasefire deal started when President Jonathan engaged regional leaders through the regional security initiative. When he was in Chad for the International ICT conference, he engaged the Chadian President, Ndjamena,” the source said.

It was further confirmed that the Chadian President, after confirming the authenticity of the Boko Haram letters and their desire for peace, then alerted President Jonathan, who immediately expressed readiness to dialogue with the sect once he was sure of its authenticity.

The President was said to  have dispatched his Principal  Private Secretary, Hassan Tukur, and some other intelligence  and military officers to enter into talks.

They then met for weeks to iron out the issues and it was confirmed that, at the end of the talks, a ceasefire agreement was struck.

One aspect of the agreement, according to sources, is that the Federal Government will facilitate the release of the women of Boko Haram who are in custody in different parts of the country.

It was learnt that a number of women were arrested by security agencies, having been “caught in the act” either carrying explosives or other incendiary items or running errands for the sect.

“In any case, the government agreed to release the women and children since they are women, even though they were caught in the act,” a source said

It was also gathered that despite the agreement, talks would continue on the fate of Boko Haram’s commanders, many of whom had been arrested or captured at war fronts.