There
are indications that the Federal Government has begun moves to exchange the
Chibok girls with some Boko Haram detainees.
It was gathered that as
part of the moves, security agencies had started conducting a fresh profiling
of the Boko Haram detainees in line with a directive of the Federal
Government.
It
was learnt the profiling would include the time they were arrested and the
de-radicalisation programme they had undergone.
Findings
showed that besides the military, the police, the Nigeria Prison Service, the
office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Justice would be
involved in the swop talks.
It
was gathered that although the government had not decided on the militants that
would be released in exchange for the Chibok girls, insurgents, who had not
been tried could be the first beneficiaries of the swop deal.
It
was also learnt that detainees, who had undergone the “de-radicalisation”
programme of the government, would be considered under the arrangement.
Investigations
showed that the government had started addressing problems that could hinder
the swop talks with the sect following its split early this month.
Boko
Haram had, on August 3, 2016, split with ISIS naming Abu Musab al-Barnawi as
the leader of the group.
But
a few days later, the former leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, in a video,
dismissed the appointment of the new leader and insisted that he remained the
authentic leader of the group.
Shekau,
in a video released on Sunday, said the sect was ready to exchange more than
200 girls abducted on April 14, 2014 at Chibok Secondary School for its
fighters that were being detained by the Federal Government.
It was reported on Tuesday
that the Federal Government was in a dilemma over the faction of the sect it
should hold talks with.
A
top government officer said that the government had started addressing the
problem.
He
said, “I can assure you that the government is identifying genuine members of
the sect it is negotiating with. We won’t repeat the mistake the
immediate past government made by talking with those who will not produce the
girls.
“Government
is not opposed to swopping. Other countries, including Israel, have done it. In
fact, security agencies are conducting fresh profiling of the sect members that
are being detained. That is the first move. If there are sect members that have
not been tried, they will be the first set to be considered under the
arrangement.”
Attempts
to speak with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
failed as he did not pick calls to his mobile telephone. Neither he nor his
Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Segun Adeyemi, replied enquiries sent as text
messages.
But
the minister had on Sunday said that the government was in touch with members
of the sect.
“The
government is in touch with those behind the video. We are on top of the
situation,” he had stated.
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Society