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Saturday, October 18, 2014

Nigeria, Boko Haram Agree Ceasefire & Deal to Free 219 Schoolgirls

Nigeria, Boko Haram Agree Ceasefire & Deal to Free 219 Schoolgirls


A major victory for the country as Nigeria's military says it has agreed a ceasefire with Islamist militants Boko Haram - and that the schoolgirls the group has abducted will be released.

Chief of defence staff, Alex Badeh, announced the truce. Boko Haram has not made a public statement. Members of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign and anxious Nigerians are: " monitoring the news with huge expectations."

"Chibok was thrown into a joyous mood yesterday with people prancing and jumping with happiness when the news was aired on the radio," Enoch Mark told AFP from the town where the girls, including his daughter and two nieces, were kidnapped.

"They've assured us they have the girls and they will release them," he said. "I am cautiously optimistic." Nigerian presidential aide Hassan Tukur told BBC Focus on Africa and disclosed that the deal was negotiated over a month.

He said arrangements for their release would be finalised at another meeting next week in Chad's capital, Ndjamena.

Leaders of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, Obi Ezekwesili, a former education minister said in a television interview on Saturday.

"We are really cautious because there have been many times that such optimism has been expressed but did not materialise,"

"But all the same, we are hopeful," she said and so is osaseye.

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