RABAT, May 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Nigeria’s authorities are ready to hold negotiations with radical Islamist group Boko Haram over the release of 223 schoolchildren kidnapped in April, Special Duties Minister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki said on Tuesday.

Turaki said Nigeria was always open for a dialogue. He added that the authorities were ready to discuss many problems, including the issue of schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok.

Militants from radical group Boko Haram (“Western education is sin” in Hausa language) have been practically waging a war against the Nigerian government, primarily targeting army and police facilities with their attacks. The militants have recently intensified their activities targeting the civilian population, including elders and religious communities. Law enforcers regularly conduct operations to counter the growing terrorism threat.