TheCable

Since Boko Haram kidnapped hundreds of girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, in April, global attention has shifted to Nigeria. The insurgents’ leader, Abubakar Shekau, has offered to release the girls if Boko Haram members in government custody are freed. President Goodluck Jonathan has ruled out a deal, but we think he should leave his options open. Here are five reasons why.

1. This is a rare window of opportunity. Since the insurgents started their campaign of terror in 2009, they have never offered any realistic ground for doing a deal with the government. In the past, Shekau asked President Jonathan to convert to Islam. The group’s stated aim is to turn Nigeria into an Islamic republic. By offering a ground on which they could discuss the release of the schoolgirls, they were for the first time indicating that they were ready to do any kind of deal with the government. This is a rare window of opportunity to get the girls out ─ or even engage with the group at all.

2. This is in line with a soft-power approach. National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, recently spoke about a broader anti-terrorism plan by the Federal Government. Under the plan, there will be more than a military approach to combating insurgency. There will be moral suasion and deradicalisation. If indeed the government is serious about complementing military campaign ─ or “stick” ─ with a soft-power approach ─ “carrot” ─ reaching a swap deal with the militants will not hurt the new policy. By the way, Jonathan has always said he was open to negotiating with Boko Haram if he could put a face to the group. Closing the door to a swap deal is a step away from negotiation.

3. Bring back our girls. For those opposed to the prisoner swap deal being proposed by Boko Haram, there seems to be a lot of focus on the militants to be released rather than the girls to be saved. How much are the lives of 100 detained militants worth compared to the soul of a schoolgirl released? The militants have no value for their own lives. Securing the freedom of the girls is arguably more important that the possibility of released militants coming back to fight Nigeria. In any case, government has to step up the security of lives and property, whether or not the Boko Haram members in detention are released.

4. This could lead to a negotiated end to terrorism. After killing over 10,000 persons (according to President Jonathan), Boko Haram does not seem tired of committing more atrocities. They are destroying villages, killing soldiers and bombing civilian targets with such precision that Nigerians continue to live in fear, not knowing when the next bomb will go off. Meanwhile, there is yet no assurance that terrorism will end very soon. Countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq are living with terrorism as a way of life. Nigeria is in danger of being in the same category. Could Boko Haram’s offer lead to a gradual and negotiated end to the insurgency?

5. What can we do anyway? When the schoolgirls were abducted, we had not the slightest clue where they were being kept. There were reports that the abductors drove the girls for hours before reaching their destination. According to one of the abducted girls who escaped, one of the trucks broke down on the road. The security agencies were nowhere to be found. It took Boko Haram’s video messages for us to know the girls were with them and we still don’t know how to rescue them without causing a tragedy. If we don’t do a deal, what are the chances that we can bring the girls home safely?