Lawyers differ on mode of rescue of Chibok girls

Lawyers in Abuja yesterday expressed divergent views over the release of fresh 82 Chibok school girls following negotiations with the Boko Haram terrorists in northeast .

While Barr Isaac Anumnu is of the view that the decisions to release some of the Boko Haram detainees could further endanger national security, others disagreed.

He said there are concerns that the government is not just swapping the terrorists with the girls but they also pay them thereby enabling them to buy more equipment to fight on.

“This is only going to enable them to continue with their nefarious activities. We can no longer afford this insecurity because it is affecting the economy, and international reputation,” he said.

Barr Abdul Mohammed said the release of the Boko Haram fighters in exchange for the school girls is a good approach which is recognised under international law. He said the involvement of some countries and the International Red Cross Society (ICRC) as intermediary lends more credibility to the process.

“International exchange negotiations have been done by several countries in the past. You remember when America exchanged some five senior Taliban members from Guantanamo Bay for one army sergeant (Bowe Bergdahl) in 2014. Even in Colombia suspects have been released in such way. So it is not strange,” he said.

Asked whether the negotiation can be extended to ending the conflict, Mohammed said it is not wrong to push the negotiation further, explaining that even former president Goodluck Jonathan attempted severally to end the entire conflict by negotiation but failed.

Speaking in the same vein, Barr Max Ogar said reaching a compromise to secure the release of the girls was very commendable because of the importance to keep the girls alive.

“Let’s secure our girls first then we can now face the terrorists,” he said.