According to CBS news a deal to swap the girls for Boko Haram prisoners secured over the weekend was scuttled at the last minute by President Goodluck Jonathan.
It was unclear why Jonathan, who has come under intense pressure from his own constituents and the global community at large for his handling of the kidnapping, would have backed out of the prisoner swap with Boko Haram. Nigeria’s government has presented a confused stance on negotiations with Boko Haram. A government minister said all options were on the table to find and free the girls nabbed in a brazen raid on their school in the village of Chibok, but Jonathan himself later told British officials there would be no negotiations with terrorists.
In his off-the-cuff remarks to demonstrators on Monday, Badeh did not mention the negotiations, saying only that the girls had been located but any military operation to rescue them would put their lives in danger.