Boko Haram might demand ransom for Chibok girls' release
The militant group Boko Haram is expected to lay out two major conditions to the Nigerian government for the release of 83 more Chibok girls.
Last Thursday, 21 girls were freed by the group after a series of negotiations with the federal government. It was not revealed what Boko Haram received in return.
An unnamed source who has knowledge of the negotiations told Vanguard that the next negotiations might involve ransom payment and the release of no fewer than 16 Boko Haram commanders.
According to the source, only 104 remain in captivity of the group. The others were reportedly married off to Boko Haram members and have been radicalized.
"The remaining 83 girls are with a top leader of Boko Haram and those are the only ones we are going to work for their release in the next phase of our negotiations which starts immediately," the source told Vanguard.
The negotiations are expected to resume this week. The source indicated that Boko Haram might ask for payment before releasing the girls.
"I think the guys are settled on the idea that the cash must come ahead of the release since they had proved to government that they are reliable by releasing the 21 girls last week without many conditions attached," the source added.
Two sources close to the negotiations told CNN that money had been paid to Boko Haram for the freedom of the 21 girls last week. The Nigerian government stated that the release of the Chibok girls "was not a swap" but it has not spoken about the issue of money.
The militants captured 276 girls from the town of Chibok in April 2014. As many as 57 girls were able to escape. A Boko Haram insider told CNN that the girls are under the control of the group's longtime leader, Abubakar Shekau.
