Despite gov’t claims, Boko Haram dashes hopes of Chibok girls’ return

A man claiming to be Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said more than 200 girls kidnapped by the group six months ago had been “married off” to its fighters, contradicting Nigerian government claims they would soon be freed, AFP said on Saturday. Nigeria’s military says it killed Shekau a year ago. This latest report is likely to raise doubts about whether talks between a Boko Haram faction and the government in neighboring Chad will secure the girls’ release. The man claiming to be Shekau also denied there was a ceasefire pending talks, and said his group was holding a German hostage kidnapped in the northeastern city of Gombe in July.

We did not negotiate with anyone… It’s a lie. It’s a lie. We will not negotiate. What is our business with negotiation? Allah said we should not.

Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram

The alleged Shekau’s denial of the ceasefire appears supported by the violence that has occurred since the government announced it two weeks ago. It also raises doubts about the actual influence of Danladi Ahmadu, the man with whom the government is negotiating. The five-year-old campaign for an Islamic state by Boko Haram has killed thousands and become the biggest menace to the security of Africa’s biggest economy and top oil producer. Boko Haram has attacked targets almost every day for weeks and last week seized control of Mubi, the home town of Nigeria’s defense chief Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh. It was Badeh who announced the ceasefire.

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