Jonathan initiated process of swapping Boko Haram commanders for Chibok girls – Sheriff PDP

by Azeez Adeniyi

The Ali-Modu Sheriff faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the idea of swapping Boko Haram commanders in exchange for the Chibok girls was initiated by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in May 2014.

The Deputy National Chairman of the party, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, said during a press briefing in Abuja, on Monday.

Ojougboh said this while reacting to a statement by the Ahmed Makarfi faction which claimed it was wrong to have swapped terrorists for the release of the girls.

[Read Also: RELEASE OF ONLY FEW CHIBOK GIRLS IS A SETBACK – PDP]

He urged the government to put in more efforts to negotiate the release of the remaining girls in the captivity of the insurgents.

Ojougboh said Ijaw National leader, Chief Edwin Clark, nominated him into a government team to negotiate the release of the Chibok girls in May 2014.

He said the government team at the time comprised the then Director-General of the Department of State Services, Ita Ekpeyong; the then Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh; the former Chief Security Officer to Jonathan, the late Gordon Obua, and himself.

Ojougboh added, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud today to tell you that I was the one who was nominated to negotiate the release of the Chibok girls.

“And we held a series of meetings, the International Red Cross, the Embassy of Switzerland; we took these representatives of the Boko Haram to the international Red Cross, and to the Ambassador of Switzerland, they gave us time, they studied what information we had and they approved it.

“We took the information to Mr. President and Mr. President said that whatever it would take to release the Chibok girls, any swap that these people demand, he approved it. Jonathan approved it.

“So to say that the swap of Boko Haram girls with prisoners is not necessary, I will tell you that it was PDP government that initiated it.”

He said a Borno State indigene sabotaged efforts to release the girls.

Ojougboh urged Nigerians to discountenance the concerns expressed by the Makarfi faction, who he said should not issue any statement on behalf of the PDP.

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