President Muhammadu Buhari’s biography, written by an American Professor of International Studies, John Paden and titled: “Muhammadu Buhari: The challenges of leadership in Nigeria,” has disclosed how Buhari rejected Boko Haram’s N1.7trillion ransom for Chibok girls.
In the book, Paden gave account of botched negotiations between the Islamic sect and the Federal Government in its attempt to rescue the abducted girls.
An excerpt of the book reads, “An additional issue was the status of the Chibok girls. Secret negotiations had been held regarding an exchange of Boko Haram prisoners for the girls.
“On several occasions, prisoners were taken to Maiduguri to facilitate an exchange. But these negotiations stalled when Boko Haram demanded a ransom of €5billion for the girls.
“The dilemma for the DSS, which was handling the negotiations, was that a military assault to rescue the girls would almost certainly result in their deaths at the hands of their Boko Haram captors.
“But the Nigerian government was not going to accede to Boko Haram’s extra-ordinary demand for a vast sum of money which would no doubt be used to fund future attacks.
“One or two girls were able to escape their captors in May, but the rest remained captive and the impasse continued.
“The Chibok girls were not alone in their grim fate. Hundreds, if not thousands, of persons had been captured by Boko Haram in the North-East. Buhari would need to continue degrading Boko Haram until he could tighten the noose around its Sambisa hideouts and bring a close end to this painful episode.”
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