The missing girls were kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14, last year. Buhari said his administration was disturbed by the continued stay of the girls in captivity. He said the situation had drawn the attention of the international community, stressing that his administration was committed to securing their release.

“The issue of Chibok girls has occupied our minds and because of the international attention it drew and the sympathy throughout the country and the world, the government is negotiating with some of the Boko Haram leadership”, Buhari said.

He, however, said that because of the sensitivity of the issue (negotiation), his administration had to first establish genuine members of the terrorist group in order not to engage wrong persons. Buhari stated: “It is a very sensitive development in the sense that first we have to establish, are they genuine leaders of the Boko Haram? That is number one. Number two, what are their terms? The first impression we had was not very encouraging”.

He said one of the conditions given by Boko Haram for the release of the schoolgirls was that its member who had been strategic in developing Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) be released

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