Announcing the decision, the Chief of Defence Staff said, “Without any prejudice to the outcome of our three-day interactions and the conclusion of this forum, I wish to inform this audience that a ceasefire agreement has been concluded between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ahlul Sunna Li Dawaa Wal Jihad.
“I have accordingly directed the service chiefs to ensure immediate compliance with this development in the field,” Badeh added.
The development is sequel to an ongoing peace parley brokered by the Chadian President Idris Debby which is still on in Saudi Arabia.
Part of the deal, News Investigators learnt, would be a release of over 100 of the abducted Chibok school girls taken hostage by the Boko Haram since April 14, this year.
The decision of the military authority was further amplified by the National Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri at a news briefing in Abuja Friday.
Omeri who was flanked by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, however said the deal is without any precondition.’Olukolade, also said that the directive to the service chiefs had gone to the field and that it would be adhered to immediately, stressing that this is the first time the military would come out to announce a ceasefire which he added is official.
He said the army will comply with the ceasefire agreement, but can not speak for the insurgents.
“I don’t speak for them (Boko Haram), I speak for the Nigerian Armed Forces and we are going to comply because the FG has entered into an agreement in that respect.”
Meanwhile, the federal government’s effort to secure the release of the abducted school girls is still ongoing with the government delegation led by Principal Secretary to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ambassador Hassan Tukur currently meeting with Boko Haram representatives in Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador Tukur confirmed this to Voice of America on Friday morning.
He said that the meeting will facilitate the release of 219 school girls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State and negotiate ceasefire with the terrorist group.
Boko Haram side is led by one Danladi Ahmadu to the meeting which had in attendance Chadian President Idriss Deby and powerful delegation from neighbouring Cameroon.
Ahmadu said the group would reach deal with federal government if they are sincere during the negotiation.
Similarly, the three-day coordinating conference on Nigeria-Cameroon trans-border military cooperation has released a communiqué signed by the two countries being the outcome of deliberations by the delegates of the countries.
The communiqué read by Air Commodore Humphrey Okpala read:
“The technical experts of both sides at plenary session deliberated on a wide range of issues.
“The objective was to enhance cooperation and collaboration to agree on ways and means for effective military operations to curb the insecurity and criminality within our common borders.
“This discussion focused on coordination, intelligence sharing, communication, media plan and procedures of handling displaced persons and refugees.
“The meeting resolved that each party should coordinate and plan its operations under the agreed permanent simultaneous operations.
“While guaranteeing information flow through agreed liaison officers and focal points at the tactical operational levels as agreed during the deliberations.
“The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff lay special emphasis on the excellent state of cooperation between the two countries.
“The Chiefs of Defence expressed the will for the collective determination to address the challenges of terrorism and other acts of criminality confronting both countries especially in the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).
“The Cameroonian Chief of Defence Staff expressed satisfaction with the ongoing efforts to address issues bordering on cross border problems and challenges existing along the common borders of both countries.
“The parties agreed that the meeting for the second coordinating conference of the armed forces of the two countries would be held in Cameroon at a later date.”
