Boko Haram and Nigeria agree ceasefire

Nigeria’s government and Islamic extremists from Boko Haram have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, officials said.

The fate of more than 200 missing schoolgirls abducted by the insurgents six months ago remains unclear. Defence Ministry spokesman major general Chris Olukolade said their release is still being negotiated.

Boko Haram negotiators “assured that the schoolgirls and all other people in their captivity are all alive and well,” Mike Omeri, the government spokesman on the insurgency, told a news conference.

The chief of defence staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, announced the truce and ordered his troops to immediately comply with the agreement.

“Already, the terrorists have announced a ceasefire in furtherance of their desire for peace. In this regard, the government of Nigeria has, in similar vein, declared a ceasefire,” Omeri said.

There was no immediate word from Boko Haram, which limits its announcements almost exclusively to videos of its leader Abubakar Shekau.

It could take days for word to get to fighters of Boko Haram, which is broken into several groups. They include foreigners from neighbouring countries Chad, Cameroon and Niger, where the insurgents also have camps.

There have been unconfirmed reports that at least some of the girls have been carried across borders, and some forced to marry their captors. A Boko Haram video in May showed two of the girls explaining why they had converted from Christianity to Islam.

Omeri confirmed there had been direct negotiations this week about the release of the abducted girls.

Boko Haram had been demanding the release of detained extremists in exchange for the girls.

Boko Haram — the group’s nickname means “education is sinful” — attracted international condemnation with the April 15 kidnapping of 276 girls.