•Launches fresh bid to release girls

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor, Chiamaka Ajeamo & Susan Onuorji

The Federal Govern-ment, yesterday, revealed measures including two failed swap deals it had so far taken to return the 219 kidnapped Chibok Girls. The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who spoke on the issue yesterday, cited the last minute change of mind by the Boko Haram leaders and infighting within the group for the failure to exchange the girls despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of the exchange of some of the captured terrorists for the girls.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, flanked by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Ayo Adesugba, Special Assistants Segun Adeyemi and Williams Adeleye and Director in the Ministry Peter Dama, at a press conference addressed by the Minister in Abuja on Friday

Notwithstanding the disappointments, Mohammed said the administration remained determined to bring the girls and all other captives of the terrorists home as he called for deep understanding from the parents and other concerned persons.

The Minister said: “You will also recall that from the physical destruction of communities and strategic institutions, the terrorist elements also engaged in abduction of women and children in the affected parts. Most painful was the abduction of the School girls in Chibok at the twilight of the past administration in 2014.

“When Mr. President assumed leadership of this country, he immediately directed security agencies to urgently fashion out strategies to trace, locate and ensure the safe and successful release of the Chibok girls. This was the mandate given to security agencies.

“It was consequent upon this directive that the security agencies, comprising of the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Navy, Police and the DSS, commenced action in June 2015. To this effect also, the DSS established a special tactical unit to review the gamut of actions so far carried out to secure the release of the Chibok girls, establish why the action has recorded no success as it were and to present a roadmap for possible success.

“In this process, the DSS and the other security agencies observed the following:

1. Many persons or groups posing as negotiators actually had no veritable intelligence nor the reach to facilitate the release of the Chibok girls; The efforts were clouded by persons with very partisan interests and whose main objective was solely to score cheap political points. It was obvious their approach had no relevance to the release of the girls;
3. Some informants or persons volunteering to be negotiators or facilitators saw and treated the girls’ fate and indeed the situation as a conduit to enrich themselves, thus making the whole thing a pecuniary venture; and as a result of the conflicting and partisan interests, issues were muddled up to the extent that reasonable and fruitful leads either failed or simply came too late for any useful action.

“It was therefore found that in the midst of these strong competing interests and unnecessary rivalries, nothing was achieved before the 2015 handover date. It was based on these that the security agencies set out to work for the release of the girls.

“First, there was the need to identify those with relevant intelligence on the groups holding the girls, as well as establish sources of contact in touch with the group. This exercise was found not to be an easy task. On those holding the Chibok girls, there was also a high level of mistrust, as they too found many approaches or groups claiming to be in touch with them as false or unreliable.

Chibok girls alive

“In this new bid, many offers ranging from credible, not credible to outright off-mark information came to the Government. Some international bodies and countries also provided leads. It was out of these that relevant security agencies were able to strike a chord. By the third week of July 2015, a contact group was in touch with credible assets who had the reach, and who attested to the fact that some of the Chibok girls were alive. Mr. President was then briefed on these assets and intelligence, and he gave his assent for further negotiations on the Chibok girls.

NEGOTIATIONS

“Precisely on 17th July 2015, the DSS opened negotiations process with the group holding the Chibok girls. However, in return for the release of some of these girls, the group also made some demands.

“These included the release of some of their fighters arrested, including some involved in major terrorist actions, resulting in several fatalities, and others who were experts in manufacture of locally assembled explosives.

“This was difficult to accept, but appropriate security agencies had to again inform Mr. President of these demands, and its viewed implications. Again Mr. President gave his assent believing that the overall release of these girls remains paramount and sacrosanct.

“Meanwhile, following the above development, government, and the security agencies had sufficient leverage to work out the modalities of the swap. These included creating the safe haven, or necessary place of swap and working out the logistic details. Based on this, the DSS availed other critical sister agencies of this new situation.

“Immediately, the Nigerian Army and the Air Force sent some specialists to commence a detailed arrangement for the swap. This was during the last week of July 2015 and first week of August 2015. The officers representing the various agencies worked out the logistic details, such as the number of persons to be swapped i.e. number of girls and detainees to be exchanged, the vehicles and aircraft, as well as safeguards, i.e. safety of the persons, including the location of the swap.

Buhari approves swap

“When it was finally agreed by all parties, Mr. President was again informed that the preparations were concluded, and the first step for the swap would commence on 1st August 2015. Mr. President robustly gave his approval.

“On 4th August 2015, the persons who were to be part of the swap arrangements and all others involved in the operation were transported to Maiduguri, Borno State. This team, with the lead facilitator, continued the contact with the group holding the Chibok girls. The Service was able to further prove to the group its sincerity, as it established communication contact between it and its detained members. All things were in place for the swap which was mutually agreed. Expectations were high.

First swap deal aborted

“Unfortunately, after more than two weeks of negotiation and bargains, the group, just at the dying moments, issued new set of demands, never bargained for or discussed by the group before the movement to Maiduguri. “All this while, the security agencies waited patiently. This development stalled what would have been the first release process of the Chibok girls.

“It may be important to note that in spite of this setback, the government, and the security agencies have not relented in the bid to ensure that the Chibok girls are released safely. By the month of November, precisely 13th November 2015, another fresh negotiation process with the group was initiated.

This time, there was the need to discuss a fresh component in other to avoid issues that had stalled the former arrangement. There were, however, some problems that many may not discern, but should be expected in this kind of situation.

“Some critical persons within the group who played such vital role in August 2015 were discovered to be dead during combat action or as a result of the emerging rift amongst members of the group then. These two factors delayed the process. In spite of these, negotiation continued on new modalities.

Second negotiation breaks down

“By 30th November, 2015 it was becoming glaring that the division amongst the group was more profound. This affected the swap process. By 10th December, 2015, another negotiation process was in place, but this failed to achieve results because of the varying demands by the group.  “The security agencies since the beginning of 2016 have not only remained committed but have also taken the lead to resolve the Chibok girls’ issue.

“In spite of the current division amongst members of the terrorist group, which has seriously affected efforts to release the girls, renewed efforts have commenced using our trusted assets and facilitators. However, this job requires diligence and ability to deal with a group that can easily change its demands without notice.

“Officers and men have sacrificed their time and energy, and some have already paid the supreme price since the abduction of the Chibok girls, fighting for the safe release of the girls. Many friendly countries and organizations have equally been very forthcoming in providing their human and technological resources to assist in the process. They are still doing so. We cannot as a nation ignore these sacrifices.