Baraje urges govt to exchange detained Boko Haram suspects with Chibok girls

From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin

Former Acting National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje has said that federal government should release the suspected Boko Haram in detention for the release of over 200 Chibok girls school in Borno state.

Baraje stated this in Ilorin during the graduation of 136 students of Baraje Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Ilorin at the weekend, a school he founded.

Baraje noted that even the United State of America (USA) released some Taliban fighter for a single soldier, stressing that nothing is too much to sacrifice for the safety release of the girls.

He said if the United States of America swapped five prisoners to secure the life of an America soldier, it will not be too much for the federal government to negotiate and meet the sect’s condition for the release of the abducted girls.

The sect had demanded the release of its members being held in various detention facilities across the country in exchange for the abducted girls.

“Nigeria is in its worst security situation. Whatever kind of appeasement that will appease the people that are holding these girls should be done, whether negotiation or transition; we saw America did it. Just for one person, America released about five insurgents.

“Here we have about 217 adolescent girls, so if we are to release everybody if that’s what they want to free the girls. It is now left for the government to ensure that security is no longer breached”, he said

The APC chieftain said until the girls are released nobody will believe that any efforts is being made by the federal government to bring them back ,lamenting that “Nigeria is in its worst security situation”.

Baraje said efforts were on top gear to affiliate his Islamiya School with Al-Ansur University in Saudi Arabia, to further provide opportunities for graduates to attain higher education.