Jonathan in closed-door meeting with ex-Borno Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff

President Goodluck Jonathan and former Borno state Governor, Ali Modu Sherriff, on Monday met behind closed doors at the Presidential villa in Abuja.

Their meeting may not be unconnected with the ceasefire agreement reached with the extremist Boko Haram sect.

Emerging from the meeting, the former governor, accused of funding the deadly sect, refused to speak to journalists who approached him .

The Nigerian Government had last week signed a ceasefire agreement with the Islamic sect.

As part of the ceasefire deal, the sect, Nigerian officials say, agreed to free the Chibok School girls who have been their captives for over six months now.

According to reports the girls were to be released Monday (today) or Tuesday.

But the ceasefire appears not to be functional as Boko Haram insurgents on Friday and Saturday caused mayhem in parts of Borno killing at least 25 persons.

Also, there is still no news on the return of the girls.

President Jonathan had on September 8 met his Chadian counterpart in that country’s capital, Ndjamena, in the company of Mr. Sheriff, .

A photograph released by Mr. Jonathan’s office showed Mr. Sheriff seated for a key security meeting with the president, alongside Idris Derby, the president of Chad.

The meeting discussed modalities for joint border patrols, intelligence sharing and the prevention of the illicit movement of terrorists, arms and ammunition across shared borders.

Mr. Derby, a close friend of Mr. Sheriff, was to facilitate the negotiation between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram that yielded the shaky ceasefire announced on Friday.