By Stella Odueme
ABUJA
The Nigerian government on Monday insisted that a cease-fire agreement and negotiations with Boko Haram was still "ongoing," and exonerated the militant group of a spate of recent attacks and kidnappings in the country's restive northeast.
"The negotiations going on," Foreign Minister Aminu Wali told reporters in Abuja after meeting his German and French counterparts.
"For us, [it is] too delicate to make any pronouncement until after we are sure of what we are able to achieve in the process," he said.
Nigeria announced earlier this month that it had reached a cease-fire with Boko Haram, brokered by Chad.
The deal reportedly stipulated the safe return of over 200 schoolgirls abducted by the group from the northeastern town of Chibok over six months ago in exchange for detained militants.
The foreign minister confirmed that the negotiations included securing the release of the Chibok girls.
"They are part of the discussions and negotiations," Wali asserted.
"I want to thank the president of Chad for facilitating the whole process that is ongoing," he said.
Nigeria has battled Boko Haram for the past five years, with thousands killed and millions displaced by the violence, which has been largely limited to the country's volatile northeastern region.
Defending Boko Haram
The foreign minister played down the recent spate of abductions of women and girls in the northern region.
"The question of the abduction of some more girls… is something that has been going on for some time now," he said.
"The statement issued by one of the Boko Haram people said that [the abductions] were done by some other dissident groups and criminals and not by Boko Haram," Wali added.
In recent days, attacks have been reported across northern Nigeria, especially in Borno and Adamawa states – both epicenters of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Last week alone, insurgents killed scores of civilians and abducted more than 100 women and girls from the region in separate raids.
Soldiers also reportedly killed at least 20 militants over the weekend following an ambush Boko Haram had laid for army troops along the Maiduguri-Damboa road.
Wali said the government had received assurances from the militants that they had not been responsible for the recent abductions and attacks.
"That is the denial from Boko Haram," he told reporters. "This is something that definitely has been going on for some time now in Nigeria – not by Boko Haram, but by miscreants and criminals."
"We also suspect that there may be some dissidents of the main Boko Haram body creating problems in order to break the cease-fire," he added.
"But this is not something that will threaten the cease-fire negotiation efforts that are going on," Wali asserted.
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