Nigeria: Indecent Proposal

19 May 2014

Otherwise called prisoner swap, the proposed exchange of the abducted Chibok girls for detained members of the Boko Haram sect has not only introduced a new twist into the mix, but has further made difficult, the ominous task of freeing the girls.

Without sounding cynical, it appears the homecoming of the abducted girls at the Chibok Secondary School, Borno State, over a month ago will be long in coming. There are more than sufficient reasons to think as such. In spite of the global outcry that greeted and still greets the action of the Boko Haram sect as well as the proposed help by the international community, nothing auspicious seems to be staring the world in the face, much less the distraught girls and their folks. Confident, daring and remorseless somewhat, the Boko Haram is no doubt in control of the situation as it continues to give and modulate at will, conditions for the release of the girls. And with great appreciation of the poor information system in the country, the terrorist group seems better positioned in the fight as it were. Apart from sending periodic videos in order to allow the world keep up with its activities, its leader, Abubakar Shekau has also established at different times, the fact that it is invincible and better positioned than the nation's security make-up. He once said in one of the early videos that he had married off the girls to its members and later came out with another video where he proposed selling the girls as slaves to neighbouring countries. The latest of these excesses is the proposed swap of the girls in exchange for some of its detained members in different prisons across the country. Naturally, such an indecent proposal has elicited reactions, typically from members of the public, majority of whom opposed the idea of prisoner swap. Yet, there are those who feel that if it would only take such a deal to bring back the girls, then, so be it. Although top government functionaries including President Goodluck Jonathan and the President of the Senate, David Mark, had said a rather weak and unconvincing no to the idea of prisoner swap, those who did not mind thought analysing the implications was of no use since it appears government has lost it with its feeble and timid disposition to national security. For that reason, negotiating with terrorists which though an impossible initiative in civilised climes might as well go on, they reckoned.

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