Negotiate With Boko Haram Or Fight, Negotiator Tells FG

A former negotiator between Boko Haram and government, Shehu Sani has urged the Nigerian government to negotiate with Boko Haram to secure the release of more than 200 girls held by the terror group.

Sani who spoke to CNN said the Federal Government may have to embrace the unpalatable option of a prisoner swap if it wants the girls back, adding that if the FG was not ready to negotiate, then it must brace up and fight.

“There are two ways to which you can get these girls free,” Sani told CNN’s “Connect the World” show.

“The first is to use force, and the second is through dialogue. The use of force is not an option for now in the sense that nobody knows where these girls were kept.

“And even if you know, these girls have been embedded in with the insurgents who are heavily armed. And any attempt to rescue them will be putting their lives in further danger,” Sani said.

President Goodluck Jonathan has ruled out the option of negotiation since the terror group gave the option in a video released last week.

Rescue efforts have continued, but no real breakthrough have been recorded by security operatives in locating the camp of the dreaded Islamist sect group or where they are keeping the girls.

A summit on the security situation in Nigeria has held in France, with Nigeria and its neighbours at the summit declaring war on Boko Haram, raising doubts the government would consider negotiating with the terror group.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Na waoo…. Sani you’re disgrace to Nigeria. Does that mean no justice? These are prisoners who have been charged for committing crime and you want them to be freed without justice, imagine the havoc they will continue to cause when freed. These girls will surely come back cos our God is a God of justice and He will humiliate Boko Haram cos no human have ever challenge Him and goes unpunished.

  2. am not a faithless person but i no hope on rescue mission,because allmost the whole muslems in the north are boko haram including their sodiers,police,and governors even some senators:though truth is bitter but every body knew it include the president knew! if not, how can a reasonable man advise the fg to agree with the prison swap, it shows they know what they are doing! but let me say what i have been saying,let us divid this animal kindom we call nigeria country once and forall so that the muslem can islamise their own path,and others will live in peace at their own paths:we became one nigeria by force not by choice,two person can not live togather execept they agree in one thing!how long shall we decieve our selves or do we need God to talk to us from from heaven before we could know that satan shall never repent,and light and darkness can never be friend!God punish the evil doers.

  3. let us look at it from another pespective, hw abt if ur sister is among does girls i believe u will as government to dialog with them i sympatize with d families of d girls. I believe in God he will briing back our girl safely

  4. I knw dis shehu sani vry well, asin 1on on1, he has been 2 prison wit obasanjo, he stays in kd, to tel u da truth, th,re da once behnd dis boko haram, cus dey were never in surport of a christn man rulein das hw dey did wit da late gov, nd sani married a christn nice lady, so I wondr y thr,re doin dis 2 nig, nd he is a human rite adtivst habba