An Australian man has revealed how he is desperately trying to free the 250 kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls, who were taken on April 14 by Boko Haram terrorists.
Dr Stephen Davis left his home in Perth to travel to the African country after being recruited by the country’s president for his hostage negotiation expertise.
The girls were taken in a raid on their school in Chibok, in Nigeria’s north-east, by the violent group who want to impose Sharia law on the country.
Dr Davis, a friend of The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, has been working secretly in Nigeria for almost a month now.
The former Canon Emeritus at Coventry Cathedral in the UK, who moved back to Australia last year, told MailOnline: “I am encouraged by the progress.”
He was asked to come to Nigeria after previously brokering a truce between violent rebels and the government in the Niger Delta in 2004.
Along with Mr Welby, he was frequently blindfolded and held at gunpoint during his peace work.
In an email from Nigeria, the Doctor revealed he has had “ongoing contact” with the groups involved in the kidnapping in Nigeria’s north for seven years.
“This is a long process of building trust on both sides,” he said.
“There are several groups to deal with as the girls are held in several camps. This makes any thought of a rescue highly improbable. To attempt to rescue one group would only endanger the others.”
Despite the difficulties of a rescue operation, Dr Davis remains hopeful that the schoolgirls will be freed.
“Every day there is the possibility of the release of the girls,” he revealed.
“This is painful for the parents and the nation. The well-being of the girls is constantly on our minds and we want to see their release as soon as possible.”
However, he warned: “We must not endanger their lives any further.”
Speaking about his recent negotiation work, he explained he has been to forward military position in the northeast of Nigeria in recent days.
He believes “the troops and their field commanders are doing all that can be done at this point”.
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