Detained Boko Haram women, kids ‘to be freed’

Federal government is disposed to releasing wives and children of Boko Haram members in detention across the country as part of a ceasefire deal, TheCable has been informed.

Despite claims that the militants are not giving any condition before reaching an agreement, TheCable recently reported that the sect is seeking blanket amnesty for its members who have been engaged in bombings, beheadings and armed attacks in the last five years.

It is not clear yet if the government will grant them immunity from prosecution for war crimes, but it will not be unprecedented in Nigeria’s history.

Nigeria’s negotiating team is still meeting representatives of Boko Haram ─ or what is now understood to be a faction of the group ─ in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad.

TheCable understands that there are about 40 relatives of Boko Haram members who are currently in detention across security formations in the country.

Some of the women in detention, whose identities were made public earlier in the year, are Aisha Kabiru, Hafsat Usamn Bako and Zainab Idris (pictured).

Most of them are women who were arrested on the allegations of recruiting insurgents, transporting explosive materials, aiding terrorism and serving as funding conduits for the group.

Nigeria is desirous of securing the release of over the 200 schoolgirls who were taken captive by the sect in April and may not be opposed to releasing detained non-combatants for now, security sources said.

Abubakar Shekau, the Boko Haram leader, has frequently asked that detained Boko Haram members be released to secure the freedom of the Chibok girls.

He taunted the Bring Back Our Girls campaign in one of his propaganda videos, saying in smattering English: “Bring back our soldiers.”

Previous prisoner swap suggestions were dismissed by government officials, although it appears the federal government has now softened its position.

A ceasefire agreement announced on Friday by Alex Badeh, an air chief marshal and chief of defence staff, does not seem to have materialised, as armed attacks continued in several Borno villages the following day.

Nigerian soldiers have also replied fire with fire, killing 40 insurgents in Damboa on Monday.

Nigerians have grown sceptical about the reported ceasefire, and the girls are yet to be freed despite Badeh’s public pronouncement.