PRESIDENCY REJECTS BOKO HARAM SWAP OFFER

The presidency has insisted that there will be no "Trade by Barter" process with the boko haram sect. The Presidency said he has no intentions of freeing  the boko haram prisoners nor trading them with the missing girls. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, who spoke in an interview said that the sect are faceless and it will be difficult to negotiate with them. 

“While the Chibok issue has brought up the matter of whether the government is going to hold dialogue or whether the government is going to buy back the girls, I don’t see government planning to engage in any action that amounts to trade by barter, or treatment of the girls as items of merchandise, or anything that remotely over-privileges crime against humanity.

“In this kind of asymmetrical warfare, even dialogue can be difficult because the enemy is faceless.
“Nonetheless, what government has said is that it has always adopted all options in dealing with the security challenge and there are already ongoing processes and standing committees. Government has said clearly, however that any Boko Haram member who is ready to lay down his arms and repent, the door is open to such members.

“The key word that government has ever used is dialogue and that is dialogue with stakeholders and possibly repentant insurgents.