Weeks ago, a terrorist organization abducted hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria. Now it seems there may be a way to get most or all of them back to their families.

In order to do so, a figurative deal with the devil may occur.

Agence France-Presse reports that the Islamic extremist organization Boko Haram has released a video.

The group of girls in the video are allegedly some of those that the extremists abducted.

The rebel group’s leader claims that they are willing to release about 200 girls in exchange for the release of prisoners.

On the surface, this represents a real chance to a number of Nigerian girls with their families. However, it’s not that simple.

This is a terrorist organization that has murdered thousands of Nigerians over the past few years.

Their aim is to fill the surrounding citizens with so much fear, their bid for control of the region will not be challenged.

The response of the Nigerian government to the Boko Haram prior to the outpouring of international support and criticism has largely been lethargic.

What’s So Scary About Smart Girls? My Sunday column on how we can stick it to Boko Haram http://t.co/6WnO9EU8Dt pic.twitter.com/tgyJvr8VIm

— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) May 10, 2014

Are we to expect the situation to end with these girls being given back to their families? It’s not as if these men have no idea where to find the girls they release—or where to obtain new victims.

This is one of the downsides to attempting to negotiate with terrorists like Boko Haram.

Often these people reveal themselves to be cruel and without remorse. There is no limit to the horror they are unwilling to unleash to achieve their goals. Those who negotiate reveal exploitable weaknesses that are seldom forgotten by terrorists.

Am I saying that I feel that these innocent girls should be abandoned and left to a horrible fate? No, not at all. I want the safe return of these young women and girls as much as any empathetic human being.

Nigeria, #BringBackOurGirls! Stand against the Boko Haram and take action: http://t.co/Ubyd0Tn5UZ pic.twitter.com/8zaRUYQ3Qc

— Amnesty UK (@AmnestyUK) May 7, 2014

I am simply skeptical that the solution put forth by these cold-blooded killers is coming from a desire to “do the right thing”. I also don’t believe that a group that is ready to murder and harm children can be trusted to never do it again following a single hostage exchange.

Image via YouTube