Boko Haram Now Ready To Swap Chibok Girls For Their Men

The dreaded Boko Haram insurgents have offered to free the more than 200 young girls kidnapped from their boarding school in the town of Chibok, Borno State, in exchange for the release of its fighters held by the Nigerian military, a human rights activist has told The Associated Press (AP).

The activist said Boko Haram’s current offer is limited to the girls from the school in northeastern Nigeria whose mass abduction in April 2014 ignited worldwide outrage and a campaign to “Bring Back Our Girls” that stretched to the White House, US, and other capitals across the world.

The new initiative reopens an offer made last year to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to release the students in exchange for 16 Boko Haram detainees, the activist said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters on this sensitive issue.

Fred Eno, an apolitical Nigerian who has been negotiating with Boko Haram for some time, told the AP that “another window of opportunity opened” in the last few days, though he could not discuss details.

He said the recent slew of Boko Haram bloodletting – with many killed in the past nine days – is consistent with past intensifying of violence as the militants seek a stronger negotiating position.

Presidential adviser Femi Adesina said on Saturday that Nigeria’s government “will not be averse” to talks with Boko Haram. “Most wars often end around the negotiation table,” he had said.