‪#‎ChibokGirls‬: Sani Asks FG To Negotiate With Boko Haram

The senator representing Kaduna Central and former negotiator on the release of 219 Chibok girls abducted by the Boko Haram, Shehu Sani, says the Islamic group had no option but to agree to the negotiation on the release of the schoolgirls.
Sani made this statement while reacting to the new development that the mothers identified their daughters in a new video.
He said the terrorists had lost the ground to the military since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office and advised the insurgents to embrace dialogue.


The senator, who spoke in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, said impostors among some of the negotiators had been a challenge inhibiting a breakthrough and suggested that the source that facilitated the release of the video should be engaged by the government in the negotiation with the sect.
He said, “Negotiation will make it possible for these girls to be brought back home alive. What has always been the problem in the last few years has been the very fact there are scam negotiators, who most times make claims and don’t deliver. And I think this is what we must be very careful of at this time. The very fact that we can get such a credible video from some sources and those sources are elements that need to be utilised to be able to achieve the goal of getting these girls out.

“When President Muhammadu Buhari took over, a section of our country was taken over by the insurgence group. They hosted their flags and even unleashed their version of theocratic Islamic group. But now, with funding for the military and support by the government, the morale is high, the military had been able to push them back and most of the cities in the North-East are safe. Buhari has not been able to achieve 100 per cent success but he has made serious progress. I believe he can still achieve more. With the very fact that now, they know clearly they cannot win militarily and the only option is to go for other ways. There is no other way other than for them to agree to negotiate on the release of these girls.”

The senator noted that countries like United States and Israel had explored negotiation in similar circumstances and urged the Federal Government to follow suit.
He said, “Negotiations have taken place in a number of countries. There were negotiations between the Israelis government and Hamas, which led to the release of some Israelis soldiers; the same thing with Taliban and America brokered by Qatar. We believe that Nigeria will take this opportunity. I believe with such a credible video, there is light at the end of the tunnel that these girls are alive and that very source that provided this video should be used to get these girls out.”
Copyright PUNCH.