Following the recent cease fire agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Boko Haram sect, mixed reactions have clouded the atmosphere.
According to Leadership (online), Various stakeholders, as well as residents of Borno and Adamawa States where the insurgents have held sway for long now, said they would rather wait and see the outcome of the announcement. The development was however hailed by some groups, including the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).
This is not the first time the country will announce that it has reached a truce with the insurgents. In July 2013, Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki announced that a cease-fire was reached on July 8 after talks with the group’s deputy leader, Mohammed Marwan but in a swift reaction, spokesman of the sect, Abubakar Shekau denied that it entered a ceasefire agreement with the government. Shekau, in a video message denied claims by the government, saying, “let me assure you that we will not enter into any truce with these infidels. We will not enter into any truce with the Nigerian government.”
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh, who disclosed the new ceasefire deal at the end of the coordinating conference on Nigeria–Camerooon Trans-Border Military Operations, held in Abuja, yesterday, said, “without any prejudice to the outcome of our three days interactions and the conclusions of this forum, I wish to inform this audience that a ceasefire agreement has been reached between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Jama’atul ahlul Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad. I have accordingly directed, the service chiefs to ensure immediate compliance with the development in the field.”
Badeh however did not give details of how they arrived at the ceasefire pact but speaking with the newsmen, the Defence Spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade assured that the Presidency would give the details of how the agreement was reached and the conditions attached.
Also, a Nigerian presidential aide, Hassan Tukur told BBC Focus on Africa that the agreement was sealed after a month of negotiations, mediated by Chad.