Insurgency : New Report Claims Negotiators Believes 83 More Chibok Girls Would Be Freed if a Meaningful Deal Is Struck Between the Sect And The Federal Government...Continue Reading 👇

The leadership of the Boko Haram sect might table two majorconditions to be met by the Federal Government to seal the deal, asnegotiations for the expected next phase of the release of 83 Chibok girlsbegins this week.

A source close to the negotiations confided in Sunday Vanguard that unlike the 21 girls, who were freed by thesect, last Thursday, to test government’s level of commitment and sincerity,the release of the remaining girls may be based strictly on ransom payment andfreedom for no fewer than 16 of Boko Haram commanders by the government.

The government, it was learnt, was eager to get theremaining 83 girls, reportedly held by a top leader of the sect in anundisclosed location in the North East.

Of the 219 girls still missing, a source said that only 104were left in the captivity of the sect while the rest had long been married offby top commanders and converted to Islam.

"The truth is that those Chibok girls are now Boko Haram members, havingmarried the sect members and become radicalised," the source said.

"The remaining 83 girls are with a top leader of Boko Haramand those are the only ones we are going to work for their release in the nextphase of our negotiations which starts immediately.

The others had since become Boko Haram members, having beenmarried off and radicalised into Boko Haram as soon as they were captured overtwo years ago".

But Sunday Vanguard learnt that the representatives of thesect, who are meeting with a Federal Government team, might insist on paymentupfront of huge cash by government before freeing the captives.

"I think the guys are settled on the idea that the cash mustcome ahead of the release since they had proved to government that they arereliable by releasing the 21 girls, last week, without many conditionsattached", the source stated.

Asked if the sectleaders were unsure of government’s sincerity to keep its own side of thebargain, the source said that the representatives of Boko Haram had also shownthat they have confidence in government.

It was learnt that the lingering challenge in getting backall the girls arose from the fact that while some of them are with a factionloyal to Benawhi, the rest are being kept by the group loyal to AbubakarShekau.

But one of the negotiators believed the remaining 83 girls would be freed if a meaningful deal is struck between the sect and the Federal Government.