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Boko Haram wants to free 50 women, kids out of 416 abducted in Borno, says others are scattered

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3 months ago

May 6, 2026

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A faction of Boko Haram, identified as Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (JAS), has agreed to release 50 women and children from a group of 416 abducted victims following intense negotiations and mediation efforts by the Borno South Youth Alliance (BOSYA).

However, the insurgents warned that the process may be severely hindered, claiming the captives have already been dispersed across distant locations.

In a voice note obtained, a representative of the terrorist group, speaking in Hausa, disclosed that gathering the women and children for release would be extremely difficult due to their current dispersion.

According to the Boko Haram representative, “All of the women have been scattered, it will be hard to see two women in the same place.”

“Before we can gather them is another work on its own. Since the ultimatum we gave them has elapsed, there is no talk again,” he said.

“Before we can gather them in one place is a work. I don’t have time to gather them right now. Some of the women were taken far away, close to 200 kilometres. How can I gather such people?”

Speaking with the media on Tuesday evening, BOSYA President, Samaila Ibrahim Kaigam, confirmed that negotiations had yielded a conditional agreement for the release of 50 victims.

“We wish to inform Nigerians and Southern Borno indigenes that, through sustained, careful, and extensive discussions and mediation over the past weeks, JAS (Boko Haram) has agreed to a proposed arrangement for the possible release of 50 women and children,” Kaigam said.

He commended the role of the Nigerian Army, noting that their efforts stood out amid insufficient commitment from political officeholders.

“We sincerely commend the efforts of the Nigerian Army, who, from all indications, have shown persistence and commitment more than many political figures in working toward the freedom of these hostages,” he added.

Kaigam outlined the proposed terms of release, stating that families of the victims and well-wishers are expected to contribute an unspecified amount of money toward securing the victims’ freedom.

“Families of victims and well-wishers will contribute a certain amount of money (not specifically fixed). Once donations are gathered, the available amount will be presented. If the leadership is pleased with the effort, they will release the 50 hostages,” he explained.

He further stated that contributors would have their names documented alongside their relatives who would be prioritised among those to be released.

“It was further stated that this arrangement was approved by their leadership (Imams) as a form of recognition of the efforts made by BOSYA, acknowledging that BOSYA has put in more effort than elected political figures representing the state, Southern Borno zone, constituencies, and local governments in pushing for the freedom of the victims,” Kaigam said.

He added that the new arrangement represents a significant reduction from the group’s earlier demand of ₦5 billion.

However, the insurgents reportedly issued a warning regarding the fate of the remaining captives.

According to BOSYA, the group indicated that after the release of the 50 women and children, the status of the others may remain uncertain.

“They stated that after the release of the 50 women and children, the fate of the remaining captives may not be certain, citing delays in negotiations and what they described as a lack of seriousness from the government in securing the release of the victims,” Kaigam disclosed.

“According to them, those they can keep will be kept, while those they cannot may face execution, with such acts possibly recorded and shared.”

BOSYA has therefore called on Nigerians, particularly indigenes of Southern Borno State, as well as the international community, to urgently support efforts aimed at securing the release of the victims.

“We therefore call on the general public of Nigeria, Southern Borno indigenes, and the international community to please contribute and support efforts toward securing the release of these 50 women and children, whom we hope to receive safely with full public accountability,” Kaigam appealed.

The group also revealed that the insurgents had earlier issued a five-day ultimatum before dispersing the captives to unknown destinations outside Nigeria, a deadline which has now reportedly elapsed—further complicating rescue efforts and heightening fears for the safety of those still in captivity.

Previously, SaharaReporters reported that Boko Haram declared that the 72-hour ultimatum it issued to the Nigerian government had expired, warning that it was now prepared to begin the execution of 416 women and children held captive in Goshe, Borno State.

In a video obtained , a spokesperson for the group, speaking in Hausa, announced that all negotiations had collapsed, insisting that “there is no more discussion.”

The terrorist, who identified the group as operating under the leadership of Imam Abu Umaima Al-Muhajir, issued a series of threats directed at the Nigerian authorities, while also mocking government efforts and dismissing ransom discussions.

“We are Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal Jihad, under the leadership of Imam Abu Umaima Al-Muhajir. Today, Saturday, the 25th of April, 2026, we declare what we describe as a victory,” the spokesperson said.

“We are sending this new message to the Nigerian government. First of all, we extend our apologies to our Imam. Imam Abu Umaima, we ask for your forgiveness, as well as from our leader here, Abu Sumayya. All of us remain under the leadership of Imam Abu Umaima.”

The spokesperson stressed that the group’s patience had run out.

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2027 election: We’ll all battle to the finishing point, I won’t just surrender -Tinubu tells Atiku, others

Published

2 hours ago

July 29, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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President Bola Tinubu has said 2027 presidential election is going to be a battle he is ready to fight till the end.

He warned opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, that they must defeat him through the ballot box if they hope to unseat him.

The President made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking during the meeting, Tinubu said he was prepared for a fair democratic contest and insisted that politics is a competitive process where every contestant has an equal opportunity.

“Those who would take it from me will try. They will try. All is fair in politics, and there is equal opportunity. I won’t offer them a red carpet. I won’t offer them the leash to tie me at home. No, we will wrestle each other to the finishing point. That’s the truth.

That is fair in politics,” the President said. Tinubu also rejected allegations that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is biased, maintaining that the electoral body has remained impartial.

According to him, political opponents questioning the commission’s neutrality are merely expressing fears over their own political prospects.Politics “INEC is neutral. It has never, ever intimidated anybody. If political opponents are crying wolf, then they are afraid of their own shadows and the uncertainty in the company they keep,” he stated.

The President used the meeting to defend the economic reforms introduced by his administration, saying they were beginning to produce positive results despite the initial hardship experienced by Nigerians.

He cited the uninterrupted academic calendar in public universities as one of the administration’s notable achievements, pointing out that the absence of strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had brought relief to students and their families. “None of your children in university today—and I would say they are all your children because you are Reverend Fathers—can say a four-year course is not four years.

ASUU is not on strike. They are not bringing agony to your homes. Is that not an answer to our prayers? To me, that’s an answer,” Tinubu said. The President acknowledged that his administration inherited significant economic challenges from the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari but insisted that the country had now achieved stability and was on the path to economic recovery. “This government has stabilized, and there is prosperity on the horizon. The quality of life is improving,” he said. “I inherited it. I didn’t run away. I asked for this job. I’m in it.”

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Civil War Row: Plateau Govt Insists Mutfwang Spoke in Spirit of Reconciliation Engagement

Published

2 hours ago

July 29, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The Plateau State Government has defended Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang over the controversy surrounding his recent remarks during an engagement with leaders of the Igbo community, insisting that his comments have been misrepresented and taken out of context.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Press and Public Affairs to the Governor, Dr. Gyang Bere, the government said Mutfwang’s remarks were made in the spirit of reconciliation, appreciation and national unity, contrary to interpretations suggesting otherwise.

The clarification follows mixed reactions to comments made by the governor during a courtesy visit by leaders of the Igbo community to the Government House in Jos, with critics alleging that he apologised over the role of Plateau indigenes during the Nigerian Civil War.
Responding to the criticism, the government said the governor neither sought to diminish the experiences of any ethnic group nor distort the historical realities of the civil war.

It maintained that Mutfwang’s remarks were intended to acknowledge the resilience, enterprise and contributions of the Igbo community to the economic and social development of Plateau State while encouraging peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

“The scars of that period remain part of our national history and deserve to be remembered with empathy, honesty and sensitivity,” the statement said, adding that the lessons of the civil war should strengthen national unity rather than reopen old wounds.
The government also highlighted Plateau’s long history of accommodating people from different parts of the country, describing the state as one of Nigeria’s foremost examples of peaceful coexistence.
According to the statement, successive administrations, beginning with Joseph Dechi Gomwalk and later Solomon Lar, laid the foundation for an inclusive society in which the Igbo community has thrived and contributed significantly to commerce, education, healthcare and industry.

The statement further aligned the state’s inclusive tradition with former Head of State Yakubu Gowon’s post-war “No Victor, No Vanquished” policy and the programme of Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, describing the approach as a globally recognised model for post-conflict healing.

The government said Governor Mutfwang remained committed to preserving that legacy through policies that promote dialogue, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.

It urged Nigerians to disregard what it described as distorted interpretations of the governor’s remarks, warning that such narratives could inflame ethnic divisions and distract from the broader message of unity and national cohesion.

Reaffirming the administration’s position, the government said Mutfwang believes every Nigerian, regardless of ethnicity, religion or place of origin, deserves dignity, equal opportunity and a sense of belonging, adding that those principles will continue to guide his leadership of Plateau State.