NIGERIA’S MILITARY says it has agreed a truce with terrorist group Boko Haram which could mean the remaining abducted schoolgirls will be released.
The deal was announced by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, Alex Badeh, and comes six months after the young ladies were taken.
He said: “A ceasefire agreement has been concluded between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (Boko Haram).
“I have accordingly directed the service chiefs to ensure immediate compliance with this development in the field.”
Boko Haram is yet to release a statement.
The military has struggled to defeat the Islamist militants, who have claimed the lives of 11,000 people since 2007.
The group sparked global outrage six months ago by abducting more than 200 girls from the town of Chibok, in Nigeria’s northern region, on April 14/15.
Nigerian presidential aide Hassan Tukur told BBC Focus on Africa that the agreement followed one month of negotiations, mediated by Chad.
He said: “They’ve assured us they have the girls and they will release them,” he said.
“I am cautiously optimistic.”
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