More revelations have arisen as to why negotiations to secure the rescue of the abducted girls may have stalled.
This is due to the terrorist sect, Boko Haram demanding €5billion (about N1.7 trillion) from the Federal Government to free the abducted 219 Chibok girls.
These facts are contained in the autobiography of President Muhammadu Buhari, titled, “Muhammadu Buhari: The challenges of leadership in Nigeria”, authored by Prof. John Paden.
The book which contains some unknown details of the President was presented to the public on Monday at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
An insider’s account into the Boko Haram negotiations provided more insight why the deal fell through.
Some excerpts from the book are, “An additional issue was the status of the Chibok girls. Secret negotiations had been held regarding an exchange of Boko Haram prisoners for the girls.
“On several occasions, prisoners were taken to Maiduguri to facilitate an exchange. But these negotiations stalled when Boko Haram demanded a ransom of €5billion (N1.7 trillion) for the girls.
“The dilemma for the DSS, which was handling the negotiations, was that a military assault to rescue the girls would almost certainly result in their deaths at the hands of their Boko Haram captors.
“But the Nigerian government was not going to accede to Boko Haram’s extra-ordinary demand for a vast sum of money which would no doubt be used to fund future attacks.
“One or two girls were able to escape their captors in May, but the rest remained captive and the impasse continued.
“The Chibok girls were not alone in their grim fate. Hundreds if not thousands, of persons had been captured by Boko Haram in the North-East. Buhari would need to continue degrading Boko Haram until he could tighten the noose around its Sambisa hideouts and bring a close end to this painful episode.”
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