What’s the truth regarding this ‘ceasefire’?

Thus, when Air Marshal Alex Badeh was appointed Chief of Defence Staff last January, he said the Boko Haram violent insurgency would be over by April of that year. When April came, and Boko Haram added mass abduction to its litany of outrages by kidnapping over 200 schoolgirls, the deadline for ending the insurgency was […]

Thus, when Air Marshal Alex Badeh was appointed Chief of Defence Staff last January, he said the Boko Haram violent insurgency would be over by April of that year. When April came, and Boko Haram added mass abduction to its litany of outrages by kidnapping over 200 schoolgirls, the deadline for ending the insurgency was shifted to June. When that one passed without any result, our government came up with the claim that the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau had been killed (again!). First, the Cameroonians took the credit for that; but our own lots muscled in, claiming they did it (even if for the third time), only for the chap to appear on another video clip, mocking us all.  Then came the more ridiculous claim that the insurgency is about to end following a ceasefire agreed to by both sides, and our troops were told to end their attacks on Boko Haram, only for the killings and abductions to start all over again.
To add to the confusion, even the announcement for the one-sided cease-fire was very strange. In any mediated agreement we would expect the mediator to appear with representatives of the two (or more) side. After he/she has announce the good news and the terms agreed to, each representative would then speak and confirm what has been agreed to. Nothing like that happened in this case. Rumours have it that even Badeh was informed later and got his instructions to direct his troops to hold their fire by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency!
Last week, the Government spin-doctors assure us that the truce is indeed for real, and the Chibok schoolgirls would soon be released and what we are witnessing are the activities of a few “renegade” sect members since Shekau (who they still insist they have killed) has given his blessings to the agreements. Two weeks on, no hostage has been released, more are being abducted and Boko Haram is annexing more territories.
We cannot keep quite forever waiting for the government to continue with this bizarre dance-drama, which if simply raising so many unanswered questions. The first and perhaps most important query is who is it dealing with? If it is true that they are dealing with the “main” faction of Boko Haram (under Shekau or whoever) how come no hostage has been released, from Chibok or anywhere? Why are they not pulling out of some towns or villages, even symbolically? Or is this “main faction” not in control of anything?
More to the point: what are the terms of this agreement? Would everyone hold on to what he has? Would Boko Haram be given the part of Nigeria it already controls? Has it given up its mission of creating an Islamic State by force of arms? Are their militants going to hand over their arms and all the sex-slaves they have abducted? Would they all enjoy unconditional pardon? How would the communities they devastated and traumatised going to welcome them back? Are widows and orphans going to be compensated for the loss of their loved one? Would those tortured and raped ever get justice? What would happen to those who have supplied arms, funds and intelligence for this sad and deadly experiment? What exactly are the roles of Idriss Deby and his friend Ali Modu Sherriff? Would the latter ever be properly investigated? What of those who looted funds meant to buy arms? The questions go on and on, but the Jonathan administration is yet to even begin to sensitize us towards accepting some of the answers and inevitable accommodations that we may have to consider?
So far, everything points to one conclusion: a Government desperately trying to claim at least one “victory” in the counter-insurgency before the February 2015 re-election outing of President Jonathan and the ruling party, beside the N2 billion he pledged in this year’s allocated for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the North-East. While the release of some or all the abducted schoolgirls would be a welcome development it would simply be a belated beginning, important though it would be. This is because there are thousands of women, young girls (and boys) abducted yet ignored. Their fate is never even mentioned by this regime.
That the whole ceasefire thing could just be one lie too many is now becoming obvious. How else does one explain the recent announcement that a Joint Multinational Task Force launched an attack on Boko Haram only last weekend to liberate Abadam? How do you attack after a ceasefire?  
We must demand that the Government pursue all options, including negotiation but consistent with long-term security, sustainable peace and true justice. The fight against Boko Haram must not be seen only through the blinkers of 2015 elections.
My fear is that the tactics and strategies being pursued to win the 2015 elections for the PDP, by hook or crook, could themselves land us in a bigger mess than even the Boko Haram insurgency. But do they really care?