FG denies reports of swap deal to secure release of 21 chibok girls

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammad, at a press conference in Abuja today denied reports that the Federal Government swapped four high profile Boko Haram militants to secure the release of the 21 Chibok school girls as reported by Sahara Reporters.

Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, earlier stated that the release was as a result of ongoing negotiations between the government and Boko Haram, brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government. This was corroborated by Lai Mohammed.

“Please note that this is not a swap, but a release. The release of these girls does not mean an end to military operations, but it is a new phase in the war against insurgency‎. People want to believe bad news than good news. The girls were released, there was no swap."