Nigeria’s government is reviewing all options in response to the Islamic militant group Boko Haram’s offer to trade the schoolgirls it abducted last month for jailed comrades, Reuters reports.
“The government of Nigeria is considering all options towards freeing the girls and reuniting them with their parents,” Mike Omeri, director general of the National Orientation Agency, part of the Ministry of Information, told a news conference.
Omeri’s full press statement says:
The Federal Government has seen the online video reportedly issued by the Jama’atu ahlul sunnah lidda’awati wal jihad (Boko Haram Sect) of the abducted Nigerian School girls who Have been in captivity since 15 April 2014
Government is reviewing the content of the video and the accompanying statement issued by the sect.
Government will continue to explore all options for the release and safe return of our girls back to their homes.
An earlier report by a section of the media purported to have been issued by Government is totally false.
This is at contrast to a statement made by Minister of Interiors Abba Moro who said that a prisoner exchange as proposed in a Boko Haram video released today, May 12, 2014 is not in consideration.
