The bloodletting in northern Nigeria may be nearing an end. This is as information available to 247ureports.com through sources close to the Boko Haram agents indicate that the ongoing secret talks between the agents of Boko Haram and the State Security Services [SSS] may have began to show glimpse of yielding positive results.
As gathered, the SSS director of operations has been engaged with agents representing the Islamic terrorist group, the Boko Haram in negotiations for over a period of one month. The SSS director of operations has reportedly met with some members of the Islamic group in addition to agents of the Boko Haram.
According to an SSS agent involved in the negotiation, the SSS, on behalf of the federal government had demanded of the Islamic group to permanently down their weapons and all violent activities –as the bases for the start of negotiations. The agents of Boko Haram, on their part, demanded for the federal government to release the entire members of Boko Haram in police custody around the country, for the federal government to allow the members of the group to re-integrate into the Nigerian society without fear of arrest, and for the federal government to extend care to the many widows whose husbands were gun down by Nigerian security operatives.
The leader of the Islamic group in accepting the demand of the SSS director of operations added a twist of his own. The leader indicated that the demand to down their weapons was welcomed – hoping the government is sincere in its negotiation. But he explained that the federal government would have to convey the demand to down their weapons to each of the sectional field commanders staged in cities like Kano, Gombe, Bauchi, Suleija, Maiduguri, Mubi, Jos, Taraba and others. The leader indicated that he will not impose on his field commanders to down weapons. This is to avoid the suspicion that he may have reached a financial agreement with the Nigerian government. He implored the Boko Haram agents to escort the SSS operative to various Boko Haram hideouts to talk with the field commanders into considering a cease fire.
The SSS director, as 247ureports.com learnt, was not keen to having his security agent go to the Boko Haram hideouts to dialogue with the commanders. Rather, he was said to have called on the agents representing the Boko Haram to go and do the talking on behalf of the SSS. According to the SSS source, the agents of the Boko Haram did not object but requested for money and other like logistics. It is not certain if the federal government gave the agents the requested money but it is certain that the agents have begun visiting the various commanders at their hideout locations.
One of the agents representing the Islamic group revealed to our correspondent that the talks with the commanders have begun. But he cautioned that the commanders are highly suspicious of the federal government’s true intentions. He states that many efforts at peace negotiations had in the past resulted to the arrest of their members. And for this reason, the source admitted that the effort has so far not been easy. The agent is however confident that the Islamic group will denounce violence in the very near future – as he completes his exercise.
On the part of the SSS director of operations, the negotiation appears uneasy for him. The SSS who is said to be willingly to grant the Islamic group their demands is concerned about the authenticity of the agents claiming to represent the Boko Haram. It was gathered that many groups who have claimed to represent the group, Boko Haram, have falsely collected significant sums of money from the federal government on behalf of the Islamic group without anything to show for the money. According to the SSS source, “they will take the money and you will not see them again”.
