Posted on: 09:19 Sun, 10 Apr 2016



Boko Haram seeks a ransom of nearly
N10billion from the Federal
Government for the release of the over
219 school girls that it abducted from
their school in Chibok town on April
14, 2014, sources close to the group
have told The Sunday Telegraph.

The sources alleged that the
ferocious Islamic death cult made
the demands “during secret
contacts with the government of
President Muhammadu Buhari, who
has said he is willing to negotiate
for the girls’ freedom.”

The ‘shadowy’ leader of the
nefarious sect, Abubakar Shekau
had initially demanded in exchange
for the girls the release of jailed top
commanders of the sect; however,
the deal failed along the line after
Nigerian prison officials said that
commanders on a list given to them
by Boko Haram were not in their
custody.

The Sunday Telegraph reports that
details of the new ransom request
emerged ahead of the second
anniversary of the girls kidnapping
on the night of April 14, 2014,
when they were abducted by Boko
Haram gunmen posing as soldiers.

A source close to the Islamic group
said that about three months ago,
Boko Haram sent a message saying
it would exchange the girls for a
ransom of 10bn Naira, the
equivalent of around £36m.

“The ransom demand has split the
government,” said the source. “Some
think it would be worth it just to
resolve the Chibok situation, but
others say it will simply allow Boko
Haram to hire yet more insurgent
recruits.”



A month after the ransom was
demanded, the heinous death cult
allegedly in clandestine passed the
government a new video tape
showing 15 of the kidnapped girls.

“The girls are asked what their
Christian names are and what their
new Muslim names are,” he said,
referring to the “conversion” that
Boko Haram forces Christian
prisoners to undergo. “They are also
asked if they have been raped or
mistreated, but they say no – they
look relaxed.”

Reacting to the allegation, a top
security source said:

“There is no ongoing deal with
Boko Haram at any level. That
claim by the sect or any other
person is incorrect.

“President Muhammadu will not
engage in any backdoor deal with
the insurgents. The report was
talking of the last three months in
which Boko Haram had been
severely decimated by the
military.”

When contacted by the media
house, the Senior Special Assistant
on Media and Publicity, Mallam
Garba Shehu, said “I will find out
from the appropriate security
chiefs and get back to you.”

Meanwhile, the Department of State
Security (DSS) has disclosed on
Saturday that the arrested Boko
Haram Deputy Commander, Khalid
Al- Barnawi, was responsible for
the bombing of the United Nations
(UN) building in Abuja, on August
26, 2011 and the attack on troops
in Okene, Kogi State, while in
transit to Abuja.

The security outfit also said that the
suspected leader of ANSARU – a
breakaway faction of Boko Haram –
was responsible for the kidnapping
of two European civil engineers in
Kebbi State in May, 2011, and their
subsequent murder in Sokoto State.