The new initiative reopens an offer made last year to the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan to release the 219 students in exchange for 16 Boko Haram detainees,” the activist said.
According to the activist, the five-week-old administration of President Muhammadu Buhari “offers a clean slate” to bring the militants back to negotiations that had become poisoned by the different security agencies and their advice to Jonathan.
It will be recalled that the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Saturday stated that the Buhari-led government “will not be aversed” to talks with Boko Haram.
Meanwhile, the Chief Imam of Apo Legislator’s Quarter’s Jumat Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Khalid, has cancelled the special i’tikaaf prayer normally observed by Muslims during the last 10 days of Ramadan in that mosque.I’tikaaf is a special prayer offered my Muslims during the last 10 days of Ramadan.During that period, a Muslim is required to retire to the mosque and remain in seclusion solely with the intention of offering prayers and supplication to Allah.
Khalid announced the cancellation of the prayer in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday.He said the move had become necessary following increased insecurity in the country.He added, “Everyone can testify to the fact that insecurity is becoming higher; bombings have become the order of the day in the North, especially in the north-eastern part of the country.
