The Nigerian government appears to have agreed a truce with Boko Haram, though how long it will hold is difficult to tell.
The announcement was made by Minister of Special Duties Kabiru Turaki, chairman of a presidential committee set up to negotiate with the group. However, as the announcement has only been made by the government sources a number of people have doubts as to its credibility:
"Such an announcement of cessation of violence needs to come from the leader of Boko Haram himself," Clement Nwankwo, executive director of the Abuja-based Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, said, referring to Shekau. "I think that would be much more credible than a statement by a government official."
The government has already said that it will still not lift the state of emefgency declared in the 3 northern states which are the Boko Haram strongholds and Boko Haram has said that the militants would continue attacking young people who co-operate with the security agencies in the fight against the group.
Meanwhile, in Port Harcourt, where the largest number of civilian helicopters in Nigeria is based, there is unrest on the streets in the vicinity of the Rivers State House of Assemble, where troops of the Joint Task Force have had to be called in to assist the police in separating and dispersing rival groups of thugs, one group supporting Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the other, the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, in Port Harcourt. Local newspapers are claiming that many of the rioters are former militants who surrendered under the amnesty announced by the late President Umaru Yar'Adua in 2009.
Amaechi and Jonathan have been embroiled in a bitter power struggle for the past few months which worsened when Amaechi was elected head of the National Governors' Forum grouping Nigeria's 36 states. Jonathan, also from the oil-producing Niger Delta, and his backers have refused to recognize Amaechi because of his open opposition to the president seeking another term in an election scheduled for 2015. Jonathan has not officially declared he will run but his supporters say he will.
Many of Nigeria's governors, and quite a few lawmakers, are in revolt against Jonathan over his expected plan to run, including many within his own People's Democratic Party.