Lawal Daura, director-general of
the Department of State Services (DSS), says negotiating with Boko Haram was
the “safest” means of rescuing the three abducted lecturers of the University
of Maiduguri and 10 women from captivity.
The woman and lecturers were
abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in June and July, respectively.
The women were abducted from a
police convoy in Borno state while going for a burial and the lecturers were
taken hostage while on oil exploration in the Lake Chad basin.
Speaking at a meeting with
President Muhammadu Buhari and the freed captives, Daura said any attempt to
rescue the victims forcefully could have endangered their lives.
The DSS DG said the negotiation
process was slow because they had to deal two groups in different locations.
“We choose the path of
negotiation because it was considered as the safest because any forceful
attempt to rescue the victims could endanger their lives,” he said.
“These negotiations took several
months and the Department of State Services with the support of the external
elements of the group in diaspora and support from friendly countries and
liaising with International Community of the Red Cross, made the rescue
possible.
“The process was slow due to the
problem of dealing with two different groups based in different locations at
the same time. In addition, the negotiations took place mostly outside the
country, though subsequently finalised in the theater of operations.
“The negotiations were mainly
centred on an attempt at conflict mitigation which include the fate of arrested
members of the insurgent groups especially, accepting to free by government
those found not to be culpable in any criminal action.
“Also, possible cessation of
hostilities especially the attacks with IEDs on innocent civilians, worship
centers, schools and other public places in return for temporary stoppage of
air strikes by helicopter gunships.”
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