– More attacks feared –
Parliament on Tuesday approved a request for a further six month extension of a state of emergency in Borno and neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states with the caveat that non military means should also be explored to end the violence.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan is adamant there will be no negotiations with Boko Haram on swapping the girls for militant fighters held in Nigerian jails, but the government has maintained it is open to dialogue on wider issues.
In New York, Nigeria submitted a request to the United Nations to proscribe Boko Haram as an international terrorist group.
The global attention on the plight of the missing girls has also seen specialist teams from the United States, Britain, France and Israel sent to Nigeria.
The analyst Kyari Mohammed said however that while on the one hand international pressure was forcing the government to act, it was also emboldening Boko Haram to mount further strikes.
“They have sleeper cells all over the northern part of the country and they’re activating them. That’s what they’re going to do,” he said.
“We should anticipate more attacks, especially if they (the government and the international community) are unable to solve the Chibok problem.”
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