Terror Threat: Boko Haram Issues 72-Hour Ultimatum to FG Over 416 Abductees

Story:
Armed fighters linked to Boko Haram have released a fresh video warning the Nigerian government against launching a military rescue operation for 416 abducted persons in Borno State.
In the footage circulated on Monday, the group issued a 72-hour ultimatum, threatening to relocate the captives—many of them women and children—to undisclosed locations if their demands are not met within the stipulated time.
The insurgents, dressed in military-style camouflage, declared their readiness for confrontation, stating they would resist any attempt by government forces to secure the victims by force.
Delivering their message in Hausa with English subtitles, the group stated that the ultimatum marks their “first and final” communication to both the government and the Borno South Youths Alliance.
“If our demands are ignored, we will move all the victims to different places where they may never be found again,” the group warned, urging authorities to reconsider any military option.
While the terrorists did not explicitly outline all their conditions in the video, sources indicate that a ransom demand of N5 billion had previously been communicated during backchannel negotiations.
Reacting to the development, the President of the Borno South Youths Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, confirmed ongoing mediation efforts and the ransom demand tied to the safe release of the abductees.
He appealed for urgent intervention, calling on Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima, and Babagana Zulum, alongside prominent business leaders and philanthropists, to act swiftly to secure the victims’ freedom.
The latest threat underscores the persistent security challenges in Nigeria’s North-East, with growing fears over the safety of civilians caught in the crossfire.