Nigerian Leader vows to free girls

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has told parents of the girls abducted by militant Islamist group Boko Haram that the government is doing everything possible to secure their release.

He met parents for the first time on Tuesday after being accused of handling the 100-day crisis badly.

More than 150 people attended the meeting after the government chartered a plane for them, reports say.

The abduction of the more than 200 girls in April sparked global outrage.

Parents pulled out of a meeting with Mr Jonathan last week amid accusations they were being used for political reasons.

The parents of 11 of the girls have died since their abduction, the Associated Press news agency reports. 

Boko Haram has offered to free the girls in exchange for the release of its fighters and relatives held by the security forces.

The government has rejected this.
'Not aloof'

The US, UK, France, China and Israel have been helping in operations to secure the release of the girls, who are believed to be held in the Sambisa forest, near Nigeria's border with Cameroon.

The girls were abducted from their boarding school in the north-eastern town of Chibok in Borno state on 14 April. 

A total of 177 people - including 51 of the girls who managed to escape Boko Haram's captivity - met Mr Jonathan, reports the BBC's Chris Ewokor from the capital, Abuja.

Mr Jonathan said the government wanted to avoid a rescue effort that could lead to the girls being killed. 

BBC