The Nigerian government and terrorist gang, Boko Haram, have reached an immediate ceasefire, the Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, said Friday.
It has been widely reported that the two sides were having talks over the release of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by the group in April 14.
Details of the ceasefire deal is still unclear but Mr. Badeh has ordered all field officers to comply with the agreement.
Boko Haram , “Western” or “non-Islamic” education is a sin, has sacked several communities in north east Nigeria and has killed more than 13,000 deaths in a five-year long bloody campaign.
In a report by the Voice of Ameica, the Nigerian government and the extremist Boko Haram sect had begun fresh negotiation over the release of the more than 200 girls abducted by the sect from their school dormitories in Chibok, Borno state, six months ago. The talks are also aimed at hammering out a cease-fire deal between Nigerian security forces and Boko Haram.
The VOA reported that an unnamed adviser to President Jonathan Goodluck and Danladi Ahmadu, a man calling himself the secretary-general of Boko Haram, as saying the talks were going on in Saudi Arabia, “aided by high level officials from Chad and Cameron”.
Mr. Ahmadu, reportedly said the girls are “in good condition and unharmed.”
He would however “not elaborate on the conditions under which the girls would be freed.
The Saudi Arabian government is not involved in the negotiations, the VOA said.
Channels TV of Nigeria later reported the Principal Private Secretary to the President, Hassan Tukur, as confirming the negotiation.
Mr. Tukur, said to have spoken with the Voice of America Hausa service, was quoted as saying the Nigerian government “met with Chadian Government officials as well as representatives of the Boko Haram sect in N’Djamena, Chad, in an effort to secure the release of the 219 Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram”.
The report said “a cease-fire has been achieved while other areas that were discussed are the location and health condition of the girls, those they want to swap with the girls, where Shekau is and more”.
Channels TV says the meeting will continue next week.
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