FG,Boko Haram sign cease fire deal.

Just confirmed from the Thisday news paper that the FG and our senior brothers BH have finally aggreed on a cease fire in Saudi Arabia.

According to Thisday;After repeatedly snubbing all peace entreaties, Boko Haram has finally signed a ceasefire agreement with the federal government in Saudi Arabia.

This followed a series of losses it suffered on the battle field to the military, including the killing of the new “Shekau”.
Reacting to the news, French President François Hollande welcomed the development and said the schoolgirls’ release was imminent. “Boko Haram have said they will free these young girls and we have information that this will happen in the coming hours or days,” she said during a meeting at the OECD in Paris.
The peace deal came on the heels of the confirmation by the Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA) and Coordinator, National Information Centre (NIC), Mr. Mike Omeri, that the abducted Chibok schoolgirls were hale and hearty.
While the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, attributed the success of the deal with Boko Haram to President Goodluck Jonathan’s shuttle diplomacy to Niger and Chad Republic, Borno State Governor Kassim Shettima welcomed the ceasefire, describing it as “a most welcome development.”
Shettima said: “We hope it leads to a long lasting peace in Borno State and the nation as a whole. It can help us to facilitate the process of reconciliation, rehabilitation and development.”
The ceasefire agreement was announced by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh at the end of the two-day Coordinating Conference on Cameroon-Nigeria Trans-Border Military Operations at the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Headquarters in Abuja.
As at press time, details of the ceasefire were still sketchy, with no information on those who signed for both parties.
However, a presidency source said consistent losses suffered by the terrorist group and the renewed determination of the military to wipe them out forced the sect to sign the ceasefire deal.
The Boko Haram terrorists have been causing havoc in the North-east through a wave of bombings, assassinations and abductions, arsons, vandalism and all manners of criminalities while fighting to “overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.”
Badeh said that the ceasefire agreement with the terrorists would not affect the accord reached with Cameroon for joint security border operations.
He further directed all the service chiefs to comply with the new ceasefire agreement.
He said: “Without any prejudice to the outcome of our three-day interactions and the conclusions of this forum, I wish to inform this audience that a ceasefire agreement has been concluded between the federal government of Nigeria and the Ahlul Sunna Li Daawa Wal Jihad.
“I have accordingly directed the service Chiefs to ensure immediate compliance with this development in the field.”
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, also confirmed the ceasefire agreement, adding that details and further clarification would be made by the Presidency.
Olukolade said: “A ceasefire agreement has been reached and you heard the CDS that this meeting was without prejudice to any agreement or arrangement.”
Olukolade said that the current agreement was in furtherance of various bilateral meetings between Nigeria and Cameroun in the past.
He said that the joint security conference focused on difficult issues of terrorism, refugees, treatment of prisoners and hostages amongst others.
How Jonathan’s shuttle diplomacy led to ceasefire…
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe yesterday linked the ceasefire agreement signed by Boko Haram to President Jonathan’s recent shuttle diplomacy to Niger and Chad Republic.
He also gave insight to the role played by the Prime Minister of Chad, Idris Derby and raised expectations that the Boko Haram menace would eventually become history.

Culled from Thisdaylive.com