The Punchquoted some security personnel as saying that the commanders were released in exchange for the 21 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno state who regained their freedom on Thursday.
The security sources revealed that while Nigerians celebrate the return of the girls, those in the armed services are not pleased with what Nigeria gave in exchange for the girls.
It was gathered that the troops and some military commanders, while expressing reservations about the swap, are worried by the fact that the release of the terrorist commanders could impact negatively on the ongoing campaign to flush out the insurgents from the North-East.
Further investigations showed that the senior military figures, who only knew of the release of the girls when the news broke on Thursday, are not happy that Boko Haram commanders, who had killed civilians and security personnel, were traded for the girls.
Also speaking, a top military figure, who pleaded anonymity, said that the information on the negotiation for the release of the Chibok girls was not meant to be known to the public.
The source added: "You must understand that it is not all information that we release to people. The lives of those girls were at stake. Negotiations securely rest on the shoulders of political leaders, but that does not mean that military operations will not continue. We must protect the civilian populace from attacks and build confidence in the citizenry.
"It was a political decision; we are under the political leadership. We derive our mandate from the constitution as provided for by democratic governance.
"The military action must continue and it is going on as planned. We are working round the clock, in concert with other security agencies, to ensure that the remaining girls are also rescued."
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