Wali Optimistic Insurgency Will End Soon, Chibok Girls Released

Foreign minister, Aminu Wali Tuesday expressed hope that attacks by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram will soon end in Nigeria and the more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls will be released.

“I can say with some optimism, cautious optimism, that were are moving towards a situation where we’d be able to, in the very near future, to be able to get back our girls,” said Wali in Berlin, at a press conference with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

“There is a tremendous amount of improvement in terms of the discussions that are going on now and also the possibility of having total cessation of hostilities and at the same time bringing back the girls and also normalcy in that part of northern Nigeria,” he added.

Discussions are reported to be ongoing between the federal government and the terror group on a ceasefire deal which was announced on Friday by the government, although there have been attacks after the announcement, raising doubts about the authenticity of the deal.

Steinmeier also expressed hope that the ceasefire would lead to the release of the girls, adding that he will visit Nigeria at the weekend, with French counterpart Laurent Fabius, where Germany is planning to build four solar power plants in the north.