The fate of 200 girls kidnapped from their boarding school in Chibok may be twisting for the better.
Boko Haram militants initially threatened to sell the girls into slavery, but have since offered to trade them for detainees after they found buyer interest was low.
Leader Abubakar Shekau posted a video this week bemoaning the over-saturation of the sweatshop labour market and the Islamic prohibition against offering the girls for sale as prostitutes, before finally making his pitch to swap them for prisoners held by the government.
The video shows more than 100 girls sitting on the ground in an undisclosed location, singing and chanting.
“Too feminine to fire a rifle, too masculine to be models, too tone-deaf to be entertainers, and they can’t cook a decent meal,” Shekau complains. “But if they have any value to anyone, please contact me. Let’s make a deal.”
President Goodluck Jonathan commented that while he doesn’t normally bargain with terrorists, he would accept the girls back without penalty if Boko Haram cover the costs of return shipping and handling.