Security expert Awwal Aliyu has raised doubts over the practicality of Boko Haram’s reported demand that the Federal Government pay N5 billion for the release of 416 abducted persons within 72 hours, questioning how such a ransom payment could even be executed.
Aliyu made the remarks during an interview on News Central TV while reacting to reports of the insurgents’ conditions for freeing the captives. His comments come amid growing concerns over the fate of the abductees and renewed debate over whether governments should negotiate with terrorist groups demanding ransom.
Speaking during the interview, Aliyu challenged the operational logic behind the demand, saying: “The reality is, that amount of money they are asking for, where are they even going to keep the money if they are given? Will they give an account for such money to be transferred into?” He argued that beyond the moral and security implications of paying ransom to insurgents, there are practical questions surrounding how such a huge payment could be delivered to a non-state armed group operating outside the formal financial system.
The security expert suggested the demand may be designed more as psychological pressure than a realistic negotiation proposal. According to him, the logistics of transferring such funds raise serious doubts and underscore the complexity of dealing with terrorist groups through ransom arrangements.
