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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Nigeria abductions: Government 'ready' for Boko Haram talks | Nigeria abductions: Government 'ready' for Boko Haram talks |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nigeria is ready to talk to Islamist militants Boko Haram for the release of more than 200 abducted schoolgirls, a minister has told the BBC. | Nigeria is ready to talk to Islamist militants Boko Haram for the release of more than 200 abducted schoolgirls, a minister has told the BBC. |
| Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said on Monday that captured girls who had not converted to Islam could be swapped for jailed fighters. | Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said on Monday that captured girls who had not converted to Islam could be swapped for jailed fighters. |
| Special Duties Minister Tanimu Turaki said that if Shekau was sincere, he should send representatives for talks. | Special Duties Minister Tanimu Turaki said that if Shekau was sincere, he should send representatives for talks. |
| The girls were abducted last month from a boarding school in the north-east. | |
| A video emerged on Monday showing about 130 of the girls reciting Koranic verses. | A video emerged on Monday showing about 130 of the girls reciting Koranic verses. |
| Mr Turaki - who is chairman of a committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to find ways of reaching agreement with Boko Haram - said that Mr Shekau should send people he trusted to meet the standing committee on reconciliation. | Mr Turaki - who is chairman of a committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to find ways of reaching agreement with Boko Haram - said that Mr Shekau should send people he trusted to meet the standing committee on reconciliation. |
| He told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that "dialogue is a key option" in bringing the crisis to an end and that "an issue of this nature can be resolved outside of violence". | He told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that "dialogue is a key option" in bringing the crisis to an end and that "an issue of this nature can be resolved outside of violence". |
| Correspondents say that the government appears to have changed its stance in relation to talks, because it initially suggested there would be no negotiations with Boko Haram. | Correspondents say that the government appears to have changed its stance in relation to talks, because it initially suggested there would be no negotiations with Boko Haram. |
| Government information agency director Mike Omeri said late on Monday that the authorities would "use whatever kind of action" it took to free the girls, and that a military operation - with foreign help - was possible. | |
| Relatives and friends of the abducted Nigerian schoolgirls on Tuesday identified some of their loved ones in the video. | |
| Some of the girls in the footage were seen reciting Koranic verses. | |
| The official News Agency of Nigeria reported that President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday asked the National Assembly to extend for another six months the state of emergency in Borno - from where the girls were abducted - and two other north-eastern states. | |
| Meanwhile, the US has revealed it is flying manned surveillance missions over Nigeria to an effort to find the missing schoolgirls. | |
| A team of about 30 US experts - members of the FBI and defence and state departments - is in Nigeria to help with the search. The UK, France and China also have teams on the ground in Nigeria and an Israeli counter-terrorism team is on its way. |