Indications have emerged that the Federal Government has brokered a deal for the release of abducted 219 Chibok Secondary School girls in exchange for 18 boko haram chiefs.

However, there was a snag last night as the sect said it would free only 30 of the girls who have been in captivity for 149 days. The sect had listed 18 of its key members, who it said should be freed from detention in exchange for the girls.

Boko Haram sent the list of its commanders and the 30 girls to be swapped to a minister, who is also a lawyer, an elder statesman and a key facilitator of peace with the sect, Comrade Shehu Sani, who is also the President of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, sources told The Nation.

The list, it was learnt, was sent after secret talks between a government delegation and a Boko Haram commander, who is being detained in Kuje Prison in Abuja. But there was no confirmation of this last night.

According the sources, the delegation, whose membership was kept under wrap, discussed with the commander, who is simply described as Umar.

One of the sources said: “Some top officials met with Umar about two weeks ago in Kuje Prison to discuss issues connected to the fate of the Chibok girls.

“We heard some inmates sharing this information that the sect might swap the girls with Umar and others. But all the details are still secret because Umar keeps to himself a lot.”

But another source said: “The delegation had a fruitful negotiation with Umar, who is one of the highly-rated commanders of Boko Haram. The group assured Umar of a swap and he has been looking forward to it.

“The sect has given a list of 18 of its members to be swapped with the abducted Chibok girls.”

It was, however, gathered that the fresh negotiation has suffered a little setback because Boko Haram has agreed to set free only 30 of the remaining 219 girls in its custody.

It is at times like this that u wish u wherent at the helm of affairs making decisions because this is a realy tricky Situation...will these 18 terrorist in the company of there brethren not commit more Havoc than they've already done, can they b trusted or should the girls b left in there hands while the security agents go about clueless waiting 4 a slip?