BREAKING NEWS: Boko Haram Leader Declares Ceasefire, Says They Are Ready For Dialogue.

The planned amnesty programme of the Federal Government for members of
the Boko Haram Islamist sector seems to have made a breakthrough as
one of the top leaders of the sector, Mohammed Marwan has indicated
the readiness of the sector to dialogue with the Federal Government.
Marwan, who said this in an interview with the Hausa Service of the
Voice of America (VoA) monitored in Kaduna, said that it was as an
indication of the sect's willingness to dialogue with the government
on the way forward in the offer of amnesty that it released the French
family it had been holding hostage for two months.
He said the release was as a decision that was taken after a meeting
with 11 other top members of the sect.
The French family, the Moulin-Fourniers had been kidnapped in Northern
Cameroun, 10km from the Nigerian border and held by the Boko Haram
Islamist sect for two months until their release this week.
The sect leader, however, warned that any government offensive against
the sect members or attack on any member of the Muslim community
unjustly would breach the agreement.
He said,"Those that were in our custody for some time, I gave the
directive that they be released yesterday around 2.00 pm. I gave the
directive for their release as a result of some discussions we had
amongst us.
The discussions revolved around what the government came up with after
their meeting with the Northern elders.
"That is why I ordered that they should be released and allowed to go
without being handed over to anybody. I said a vehicle should be
brought so that they go back to where they came from in between
Cameroon and Adamawa. It was as result of the many calls and the
preparations ahead. That was why I gave that order after our joint
meeting; 12 of us had met."
On the amnesty committee set up by the government, Marwan said it was
high time the government stopped what it was doing to the sect members
and the sect too ceased fire.
He said, "We thank Allah; we should all sit. They should stop what
they are doing and we too should stop what we are doing.
I also directed that no security official will be touched unless he
touches us or the Muslim community; those who committed no crime, as
we will revenge if they do that. But I have given that directive so
that we would see how they will go about it. (So will it be) unless
another confusion comes up again.