Nigerians may this week welcome the schoolgirls who were abducted by the Boko Haram on April 14 from their Government Secondary School, Chibok Borno State.
The federal government had about a fortnight ago announced that it has agreed a ceasefire with the Islamist sect.
Series of attacks following the announcement had however raised doubts, even from military ranks, over the genuineness of the ceasefire. The military also reportedly warn of simultaneous attacks across Nigeria’s northeast, citing intelligence gathered.
Self-acclaimed Secretary General of Boko Haram, Mallam Danladi Ahmadu, who has been representing the sect in talks with the FG has however blamed the recent attacks on armed robbers and hired assassins among other criminals, saying they have infiltrated the terrorist group, and they were the ones breaching its cease fire agreement with the government. He assured Nigerians that the agreement is still on course. He made this known on an Hausa Service programme of the Voice of America, VOA, monitored in Yola, Adamawa State.
Ahmadu stressed that the final meeting between the group and the Federal Government to finalize the ceasefire agreement has been scheduled for Monday in Ndjamena, Chad. The meeting will be supervised by the Chadian leader, Idriss Derby.
He said that the Chibok girls would surely be released on Monday to the Chadian President, Idriss Derby for onward presentation to the Nigerian government.
Ahead of the Monday meeting, Ahmadu said an enlarged meeting of the Boko Haram group will hold this weekend, stressing that the final ceasefire and the release of the Chibok girls will definitely happen.
With this tiny fragment of hope, Nigerians await the return of the over 200 schoolgirls, who have been held captive since April.