Federal government officials are now kicking themselves over the phantom ceasefire deal with Boko Haram brokered by Idriss Déby, the president of Chad.
A source in the know of the negotiations told TheCable that the federal government is still uncertain if the dummy was deliberately sold to Nigeria by Déby or if the Chadian president himself was hoodwinked into believing it was genuine.
But the word in government circles is that Déby was working for Boko Haram as he has refused to communicate with Nigeria since the insurgents renewed their attacks.
“Nigerian government officials no longer have access to Déby who is now said to be sick. It appears he set us up to drop our guard and allow Boko Haram to gain ground,” the official said.
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A man claiming to be the general secretary of Boko Haram, named Danladi Ahmadu, had told the Voice of America on October 17 that the government was negotiating with representatives of the group.
Alex Badeh, an air chief marshal and chief of defence staff, later addressed the media asking Nigerians soldiers to ceasefire because of the “agreement”, which he said included releasing the 219 Chibok schoolgirls in Boko Haram captivity.
TheCable also reported how Déby put the deal together, revealing how he said Boko Haram got in touch with him, how he authenticated the message and how he got the Nigerian government involved in the negotiations.
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But a journalist with links to the group had described the claim as “shadows and bubbles” and warned Nigerians not to believe it.
Not long after that, Boko Haram became more ferocious in their attacks, taking over more Nigerian towns, including the country home of Badeh.
A government official who spoke with TheCable on Saturday pointed accusing fingers at Déby, accusing him of setting a trap for Nigeria.
“The period of the phantom negotiations gave the terror group time to regroup, reinforce and restrategise, which is the intent of Déby for asking the Nigerian government to negotiate a ceasefire with Boko Haram,” the source said.
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“As soon as Nigeria began to make a lot of gains in the war against Boko Haram, owing to the efforts of the military and President Goodluck Jonathan who has been discussing with regional leaders to halt the insurgency, and at a time the commanders of the sect were being rounded up, that was when the Chadian president approached the Nigerian government asking that it mediates between the parties in the conflict.
“The discussions between the government and the Chadian president on Boko Haram started in September. However, Déby said he was already talking with Boko Haram.
“The government was trying to verify the authenticity of Boko Haram’s representatives in the supposed negotiations, but Déby asked the Nigerian government to take a chance that he had done the verification already. He affirmed that Boko Haram’s representatives were truly standing in for the group in the negotiations.”
It was at this stage the government nominated the principal secretary to the president, Hassan Tukur, to be part of the negotiations in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad.
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“Tukur was the one spearheading the dialogue with Boko Haram on behalf of the Nigerian government. He had the first contact with group. It was still in the middle of the supposed negotiations that Danladi Ahmadu announced on Voice of America that the group had ceased fire. Following the announcement of ceasefire by the group, the Nigerian government equally announced a ceasefire on October 17 for the supposed negotiations to continue.
“A Nigerian delegation left for Chad on October 21 for talks with Boko Haram, but the Chadian president became evasive. The Nigerian delegation was told that Déby was sick and that the meeting be rescheduled for October 23.
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“However, on that date, the delegation was told that the Chadian president was still sick after waiting for six hours. The delegation made visits to Chad a number of times, but met a brickwall.
“As Boko Haram’s resumed attacks grew in intensity, the Nigerian government became worried. Many attempts were made to inquire from the Chadian president who was supposed to be mediating between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram, but the attempts were all futile.
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“France was privy to the botched negotiations, but said nothing just like the Chadian government.
“It became clear to the Nigerian government that Déby was working for Boko Haram. The government of Chad has not said a word to the Nigerian government since Boko Haram’s resumed onslaughts. It has simply refused to make any comment or communicate with the Nigerian government.
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“The Nigerian government has also ceased to speak with the Chadian government on the matter since it is now clear that Chad is working with Boko Haram.”
The official said the Nigerian military will now resort to use of force against Boko Haram.
“The only option left for the Nigerian government is to continue to use force to end the crisis. As it is now, there is no negotiation or mediation going on. The statements by some government officials that the abducted Chibok girls would return soon were based on assurances by the Chadian government, but now there is no negotiation going on anywhere,” he said.
“It is important to add that the Nigerian government decided to honour Chad’s request for negotiations with Boko Haram, because it was the first time a foreign government would be mediating in the protracted insurgency in the country. Other individuals have tried, but the government has always spurned them.”
Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the sect, released a video denouncing the ceasefire deal, saying he had already married off the kidnapped schoolgirls.
31 comments
Fools only learn from hindsight what wise men know from foresight. That is d situation of Nigerian govt officials. All these excuses and blaming of chadian govt won’t wash.
Well said Fula. Why did Nigerian government not do their own due diligence. Why not ask Shekau to release a video as in the past confirming the ceasefire.The Nigerian military does not want to fight so it was very quick to embrace the ceasefire. Every time we hear the military “repels Boko Haram”. Until the military starts attacking Boko Haram, the militants will be under no pressure to negotiate.
Sawstonite, the Nigerian government had claimed Shekau was dead! Can the dead release confirmatory videos? Additionally, our Millitary brass need to be more forthcoming about the war. Reports filtering out indicate that morale is low, cowerdice is on the rise, and that this war may soon degenerate. Word emanating from the front lines is; there is a 50% chance that the terrorists will overrun Abuja within a year — unless we only deploy troops who wear the cross, if you know what I mean…
If we do that, that means they have already won. It will be needless to deploy then.
Sule you are so narrow minded you looked at the issues from one angle. It is sad the northern elders have not been able to talk to BH. What is happening in the north east is a gradual annihilation iof Christians from the area. Are you saying BH members are nonmoslems?
This country belongs to all. Nobody has the monopoly of voilence. We must live together, tolerate our differences in ethnicity and religion. If other faiths embrace fundamentalist tendencies only God knows what the out come will be.
Please read Dr Iyorchia Ayus speech in pages 52 and 53 of the Sunday Trust of November 9, 2014.
It will enlighten you more.
WHo wants to fight..?? Is it you??
What do Nigerian Govt workers know other than steeling our collective wealth? They have all forgoten the little they learned at school and can’t understand any problem let alone how to solve them. Ordinary Nigerians have to think collectively on how repair our battered country.
The South African government is working in conjunction with the opposition to undermine you,the U.S government is frustrating your efforts at getting arms, and now the Chadian President is Boko Haram – same story, it’s always another’s fault! Jonathan administration we are tired of your excuses, you are a Big failure!
Well said Tunde
Now that we know we were eager to be deceived, can we then get back to the main business of the day: Taking back our LGAs?
You can’t make peace by dropping your guards or turning your back on an armed adversary.
Really I don’t subscribe to those sayings that Chad deceived us. Why should soldiers go back to sleep, our airforce is useless must you lower your guard. Look at Israel always ready .
I agree in totality!
Excuses are the tools of the incompetent and this is one excuse too many!!
Quick to claim glory, quicker to shy away from responsibility & quickest to play the victim card when confronted by any form of criticism…
Hmm… I dey laugh. Until we open our eyes to see and realise that these politicians, pastors, Generals etc. are all in cahoots with each other and in it for their bellies, we are doomed
Here we go again. Always some conspiracy or invisible saboteur responsible for our numerous national woes, freeing the hapless federal administration from accepting any responsibility or accountability. Go on, pull the other foot, its got bells on it.
Our leadership don’t learn and still acts as if Boko Haram are allies. Using kid gloves isn’t going to work but rather firm decisive actions.
I think there is something we are not being told,how come in the same Mubi the soldiers are running away from,7 trucks load of Mobile Policemen went in and successfully moved #200m from Zenith and First bank to the CBN? Are the mobile policemen more efficient than the military? What is the conspiracy between the Armed Forces and their C in C? If 70000 security personnel could be deployed for the Osun gubernatorial election,how come we have less than 20000 in the insurgent ravaged NE? Why hasn’t the military succeded in regaining any insurgent captured territory since this capture started months ago? Are these territories being willingly conceded by the Govt to give it an edge in the 2015 elections?
More questions than answer,but like the Nigerian will say,no be ordinary eye
France and its colonies especially Chad, with their insider Biafran freinds, bigots and Islamophobes and sell outs like Modu Sheriff are conspiring and sponsoring Boko Haram. For France and its allies its like killing many birds with one stone. Destroy/distort Islam, kill Muslims and exclusively tap Nigerian oil and in the Lake Chad Basin.
This is what happens when a government is more interested in politics than in its job.
Jonathan government was more interested in the political accolade. What a shame!
Trust sometimes fail, but be steadfast n push on.
too bad 4 us
100% of boko haram are chadians that is the main reason for covering their eyes with clothes. even from the way they eat you will notice that these are non Nigerians eating only sardines dry bread and black tea, and not a single one of them can speak hausa fluently. our country is invaded by chad
this serves as a lesson for the FG.
This confirmed our fears that chadians&tuaregs are among the militants we have been hearing about some white people fighting alongside the terrorist ;may Allah save our country from all this.
I now have to believed that most Nigerian do understand the actual reason for this utterances beyond this regional comfilueq.
if Deby is working for them then one day he will sleep and will not wake up,I bet anybody involved in this bh thing will pay very soon
Chad Republic is harboring these criminals,unleashing terror on our territory because of oil. They are benefiting from the conflict,fighting had to carve out that region for themselves.FGN should move in with full force,declare total war against Chad otherwise,someday,our territories will be carved out by all our neighbors.
so we can not do d negotiation by ourself we have 2 import people to solve our internal problem 4 us same $ is very pathetic for lion 2 call on cat for assistant
Perhaps the supposed journalist name Ahmed Salkida is the same person as Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram. Don’t let us be deceived by the disguise of beard and turban of the Shekau. The resemblance between the both is obvious.
On the other hand, how come Salkida’s inside knowledge of Boko Haram’s projection always come true.
The Federal Government should get him extradited wherever he might be. Surely he has a case to answer and most probably he will lead the security officers to the neuclues leader of Boko Haram.
some folks read up this article with their a**. Chad played pranks on Nigeria and a ceasefire deal there must be a mediator which Deby said he would, I don’t see any fault on the nigerian govt for trusting him. But we will respond to chad in due time.
Chadian government should be held responsible for all Boko Haram’s attacks. Nigeria should simply invade Chad now.
How can Nigerian invade Chad when it cannot even deal with BOKO HARAM? I don’t want to see Nigeria going backward cause if you try to invade a country like Chad it will definitely affect your economy and you gonna end up on the list of the poorest country in Africa i can guaranty that cause i know the capability of nuisance that the Chadian army can inflict to your army. You should think twice and learn more about the Chadian army before trying to invade.