Abuja, May 15 (RHC)-- Nigeria has apparently ruled out talks of a prisoner swap with the Boko Haram to free the more than 260 schoolgirls held captive for over a month. A Nigerian minister had opened the door to freeing the girls in return for releasing the group’s prisoners. But on Wednesday, British Minister Mark Simmonds said Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has precluded negotiations.

The news comes as the Boko Haram has carried out a new attack near the school in Chibok where the girls were seized, killing four Nigerian soldiers. A group of villagers meanwhile have reportedly killed and detained scores of alleged Boko Haram fighters in an ambush.

In a related development, the United States has confirmed that it is flying jets and unpiloted drones over Nigeria as part of search efforts for the missing girls. But it has yet to provide that information to the Nigerian government because the two sides have yet to work out an intelligence-sharing agreement.