By Mapaballo Borotho
- Boko Haram has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian government, demanding N5 billion for the release of 416 abducted women and girls.
- The captives were taken during a March 2026 attack on a military base in Borno State.
- The group has threatened to kill the hostages if its demands are not met, while the government has yet to respond.
More than 400 girls could be killed if the Nigerian government does not meet ransom demands from Boko Haram militants.
The group has given the government 72 hours to pay N5 billion, threatening to kill 416 captives, mostly women and girls, if their demands are not met.
The ultimatum, accompanied by a video released on 20 April 2026, included a ransom demand for the release of hostages abducted from Ngoshe in Borno State, Nigeria.
The captives were taken during a 4 March 2026 attack on a military base in Ngoshe, located in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
In the video, a masked spokesperson warned that failure to meet the demands would result in the deaths of the captives or their relocation to undisclosed locations.
The group also cautioned against any military rescue attempts, daring authorities to act, and described the ultimatum as its “first and final message.”
The Nigerian government has not yet responded to the ultimatum.
Boko Haram has remained in the spotlight since the 2014 abduction of 270 schoolgirls in the country.
Reports indicate that by 2014, the militant group had already killed hundreds of pupils since it began targeting schools in 2010.
The Chibok girls’ abduction was widely seen as religiously motivated, with Boko Haram aiming to reinforce its stance against Western education under its interpretation of Sharia law.
READ NEXT: Over 270 Chibok girls in Nigeria were kidnapped by Boko Haram 10 years ago
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