After a secret negotiation, Boko Haram has agreed to release some of the abducted 219 Chibok girls, The Nation learnt yesterday.

The sect has listed 18 of its key members, who it said should be freed from detention in exchange for the girls.

But there was a snag last night because while the government wanted freedom for all the 219 Government Secondary School, Chibok girls, the sect said it would free only 30. The girls have been in captivity for 149 days.

Boko Haram sent the list of its commanders and the 30 girls to be swapped to a minister, who is also a lawyer, an elderstatesman and a key facilitator of peace with the sect, Comrade Shehu Sani, who is also the President of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, according to sources.

The list, it was learnt, was sent after secret talks between a government delegation and a Boko Haram commander, who is being detained in Kuje Prison in Abuja. But there was no confirmation of this last night.

According the sources, the delegation, whose membership was kept under wrap, discussed with the commander, who is simply described as Umar.

One of the sources said: “Some top officials met with Umar about two weeks ago in Kuje Prison to discuss issues connected to the fate of the Chibok girls.

“We heard some inmates sharing this information that the sect might swap the girls with Umar and others. But all the details are still secret because Umar keeps to himself a lot.”

But another source said: “The delegation had a fruitful negotiation with Umar, who is one of the highly-rated commanders of Boko Haram. The group assured Umar of a swap and he has been looking forward to it.

“The sect has given a list of 18 of its members to be swapped with the abducted Chibok girls.”

Source from www.afrinaija.com

hmn

They should never try thatm.the govt shud find another way of freeing those girls