A faction of Nigerian militant group Boko Haram is willing to negotiate the release of 83 more Chibok girls, a spokesperson for the country’s President Muhammadu Buhari said. The spokesperson further said that the Nigerian government was ready to initiate dialogue with the Islamic State-allied faction of the militant group, Reuters reported.
Reports about the likely talks between the two sides comes after the splinter group on October 13 freed 21 of the 275 girls kidnapped in April 2014. However, the Nigerian government has denied that it released an unspecified number of the group’s fighters in exchange for the release of the girls. Information Minister Lai Mohammed further said the government was not aware of any ransom paid for the girls’ release. The country’s army has also been conducting a military operation in the Sambsisa forest, a Boko Haram stronghold.
In August, Boko Haram had released a video in which around 50 of the girls could be seen with a gunman. In the clip, the militant group had demanded the release of its fighters in exchange for the girls. The gunman had also claimed that some girls had died in airstrikes launched by the army.
The girls’ kidnapping had triggered a social media campaign, #BringBackOurGirls, which several well-known personalities took part in, including United States First Lady Michelle Obama.
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