Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram may have indicated interest in negotiating a ceasefire, in preparation for a surrender, with the Nigerian government, credible sources have informed Vanguard.
The sources claimed that the leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau is desperate for a soft landing and wants to negotiate for a surrender.
“ I think the end of Boko Haram is coming close as Abubakar Shekau has been making overtures through proxies for a soft landing for him to surrender to the Nigerian authorities. He has been desperate about it, and the intensity is occasioned with the avalanche of coordinated operations launched in recent times against the group, especially in the Timbuktu triangle”. One of the sources is quoted to have said.
The source further added that in recent times the Boko Haram group had suffered casualties that put the group in a tight corner.
“The gap is closing in on Abubakar Shekau as it stands. The series of coordinated attacks on their hideouts has made it impossible for any escape as the military has been attacking from several flanks, and any attempt to escape now is virtually impossible.”
“The Chief of Army Staff has given an order that Abubakar Shekau is captured alive. The Chief has been in Borno State and there is a likelihood that he is going to be around for a long period given his body language of not leaving anything to chance in this critical operation. As a fact, he has joined several reconnaissance operations around the Timbuktu triangle, after which he issued specific directives with the Intel gathered from the reconnaissance operations.”
“He has also been in the trenches with some commanders holding meetings and analyzing Intel. I can tell you that everyone is on top of their game as the strategy is clear for all to understand.”
It was also gathered that the past weeks had witnessed a renewed onslaught against Abubakar Shekau and his group, which was led by the Chief of Army Staff.
A top source was quoted as saying that the Chief of Army Staff is virtually visible in all locations within the theatre of operations.
Previous Claims of Ceasefire
In 2014, Boko Haram denied a “ceasefire” taunted by Nigerian authorities in the media.
Nigeria’s army announced a ceasefire with the militants on 17 October, 2014, saying 200 kidnapped school girls by the Boko Haram group would soon be freed but this was denied by the terror group.
In a video, the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls had converted to Islam and been married off since being taken. He denied reaching any truce with the Nigerian government and continued attacks on Nigerian soil.
In 2018, the Nigerian government claimed again it was in talks with Islamist militant group Boko Haram about a possible ceasefire with the ultimate aim of securing a permanent cessation of hostilities.
“Unknown to many, we have been in wider cessation-of-hostility talks with the insurgents for some time now,” said Information Minister, Lai Mohammed. in an emailed statement.
Again, Boko Haram’s leadership released more than 100 schoolgirls to the Nigerian government but denied it had reached any ceasefire with the Nigeria.
