Nigerian President Ready To Negotiate With Boko Haram For Release Of Schoolgirls

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria's new president, has agreed to negotiate with Boko Haram leaders in order to pave the way for the release of 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in 2014. He said it depends on the "credibility" of those who said that they represented the Islamist militant group, according to bbc.

"Our main objective as a government is to secure these girls safe and sound," he said, during a visit to the US.

President Barack Obama welcomed Nigeria's new president to the Oval Office and appreciated his efforts to bring "safety, security and peace" to Nigeria, which is facing economic strains, corruption and violence, according to theguardian.

The girls had been lifted from a boarding school in the north-eastern town of Chibok, April 2014, stoking "global outrage".

The incident also began some of the biggest social media drives last year, with the Twitter #BringBackOurGirls used more than five million times.

President Buhari said that a multinational African force will be deployed in 10 days to fight the Boko Haram, according to yahoo.

The Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language, was founded in 2002, vowing to fight western civilization.

Boko Haram is thought to have carried out more than 10,000 deaths since 2009. It has now increased the attacks since Mr Buhari took office in May, and has taken an oath to "tackle the insurgency head on".

"If we are convinced that the [Boko Haram] leadership that presented itself can deliver these girls safe and sound, we'll be prepared to negotiate what they want," President Buhari, the ex-Nigerian military ruler said.

"We have to be very careful about the credibility.... [of those] claiming that they can deliver... we are taking our time because we want to bring them safe back to their parents".

On Monday, President Buhari met President Obama in the White House's Oval Office.

He said that bringing security for a stable Nigeria, in order to deal with oil militants in the south as well as the Islamist insurgents in the north-east was his priority.

"Nothing will work until this country is secure," he said.

Mr Buhari has shifted his military chiefs, moved military headquarters to the north-east and organised to send a multi-national force to fight Boko Haram near the end of July.

Since Buhari got elected, the US has agreed to give $5 million (£3.2m) to fight Boko Haram. The World Bank has pledged $2.1bn to help rebuild north-eastern parts devastated by the insurgency.

Nigerian villages and towns have been conflagrated, while the six-year insurgency and more than one million people have run from their homes.

Last May, Boko Haram released a video of around 130 girls, reciting the Koran together.