Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed has denied reports that Boko Haram is demanding $50 million from the government as ransom for the abducted Chibok schoolgirls. President Muhammadu Buhari promised to do all he can to ensure the release of the girls, during his recent meeting with their parents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Minister said yesterday: “It appears we have several versions of this report. The one that we heard was from a source that (Boko Haram) wants to release 10 of these girls for 1 million euros,” he told the VOA. “But the most important thing is that we’ve gone through this route before, and until and when we establish the credibility of this source and the truth behind it, the government will not be in a hurry to make a statement. However, government is using its own channels to authenticate the credibility of this source.”
Lai Mohammed said the accusation that the Buhari administration appears not to be doing enough to secure the release of the more than 200 girls is not fair.
