Following the rescue of Oyo kidnapping victims, the general public has questioned the method used to rescue the victims, believing it is shady. The Nigerian government has since then insisted that no ransom was paid to free the pupils and teachers. New details reveal just how close that principle came to being tested.
According to security sources, the terrorists initially demanded the release of a detained Boko Haram kingpin, a ₦1 billion ransom, two Hilux vehicles, and safe passage, which was rejected. The security agencies told the terrorists the victims must be released, or they risked arrest or elimination.
That mounting pressure, not negotiation, is what broke the kidnappers. Arrests of the group’s wider network disorganised their operation so severely that they released all 44 victims unconditionally on July 10.
