Nigeria and Boko Haram 'agree ceasefire and girls' release'

The Nigerian Government and Boko Haram have agreed a ceasefire and the release of the 200+ girls that were taken hostage earlier in the year.

Nigeria's military says it has agreed a ceasefire with Islamist militants Boko Haram - and that the schoolgirls the group has abducted will be released. Nigeria's chief of defence staff, Alex Badeh, announced the truce. Boko Haram has not made a public statement. The group has been fighting an insurgency since 2009, with some 2,000 civilians reportedly killed this year. Boko Haram sparked global outrage six months ago by abducting more than 200 schoolgirls. The girls were seized in the north-eastern town of Chibok in Borno state, and their continued captivity has led to criticism of the Nigerian government's efforts to secure their release. Members of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign said in a tweet on Friday: "We are monitoring the news with huge expectations."

Not sure what the Nigerian Government are giving in return, but I guess a prisoner swap and maybe a ransom fee being paid? With elections looming I guess the Government has to be shown as doing something to secure the release of these girls, and whilst this is excellent news for the families, it's all too coincidental isn't it?

Also, with the U.S and U.K sending troops into the area, I wonder if this has escalated Boko Haram's decision to agree a cease fire?

www.bbc.co.uk...

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

so the hash tag thingy worked? wtg Mrs. O.

a reply to: thishereguy

Their broadband must be real slow because it was about six months ago. Just goes to show the power of social networking though doesn't it?

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

I gave you a S&F but you do realize none of this is ever going to happen...

from your own BBC source.

Analysis: Will Ross, BBC News, Lagos

Nigerian officials had not given any indication that negotiations with Boko Haram were taking place. Even though there had been rumours of talks in neighbouring Chad, this is a very surprising development.

Many Nigerians are extremely sceptical about the announcement especially as there has been no definitive word from the jihadists.

The military has in the past released statements about the conflict in north-east Nigeria that have turned out to be completely at odds with the situation on the ground.

just last week Nigeria got slammed by the world press for not getting any of the missing 276 school girls back...
Those girls are long gone... Boko Haram has said he's either sold some into slavery across the border in Chad while other he gave to his troops as wives...

so this Air Chief Marshal Badeh worried about all the bad press comes out of nowhere and makes this statement...

I don't believe it... not for a New York minute...

a reply to: HardCorps

I appreciate what you are saying and I have my doubts also. Let's see where this leads.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

it'd be great if true...
just saying if I were the BBC Chef editor... I'm not so sure I would have published this story...
at least not with this headline...

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
a reply to: thishereguy

Their broadband must be real slow because it was about six months ago. Just goes to show the power of social networking though doesn't it?

aww, Hardcorps done rained all over our parade. one can only hope , tho .

a reply to: HardCorps

It's not just the BBC, Sky news in the U.K are also leading with it, so I guess it must have some legs?

As I said initially, it all seems so coincidental.

originally posted by: thishereguy

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
a reply to: thishereguy

Their broadband must be real slow because it was about six months ago. Just goes to show the power of social networking though doesn't it?

aww, Hardcorps done rained all over our parade. one can only hope , tho .

Ha ha,what a party pooper

He's right to be cautious though, so many false dawns.

originally posted by: thishereguy

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
a reply to: thishereguy

Their broadband must be real slow because it was about six months ago. Just goes to show the power of social networking though doesn't it?

aww, Hardcorps done rained all over our parade. one can only hope , tho .

I know I hate to be the buzz kill...
as a daddy of two little girls myself I'd love to see those girls go home...

But ya know... if it sounds to good to be true...

go read this story

The military has an embarrassing track record when it comes to fighting the militant group. Earlier this year, they claimed to have rescued the girls the day after the abduction, but then had to retract that claim. In late May, they released a statement saying they knew where the girls were being held, but wouldn’t use force to rescue them. And in a tragic incident early last month, several Nigerian troops were killed by their own airstrikes aimed at Boko Haram.

U.S. planes spotted large groups of girls in early August that might have been the kidnapped students. Time, however, continues to drag on without a rescue—and, says Jennifer Cook, the director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the longer they stay in captivity, the harder it becomes to bring back the missing girls.

a reply to: HardCorps

Damn, these Nigerians are good at building up people's hopes one minute and then bursting them the next.

I must admit, when I read the article, I did consider what the chances were of all these girls just being held captive and no harm coming to them.

What you have posted has just reinforced that doubt no end.

Anybody notice a pattern of western news claiming things about nations that the nations themselves deny? We said turkey would let us use their airbases and turkey the next day was like "wtf we never said that". It appears the west is losing control.

a reply to: HardCorps

yeah, i guess i shouldn't have lite of the situation, my bad. i know what your saying, i have 4 girls , a son, and a herd of grand kids. (12 to be exact ). but, it always seems the world wants the U.S. to attend these matters, but quick to put us down about it, go figure. also their own military seem like a bunch dicks, according to that article.