The Federal Government of Nigeria paid €2m in addition to 5 commanders of Boko haram released in exchange for the 82 Chibok girls according to BBC report.
The Money was handed over in cash to the insurgents in exchange for the girls,the report noted that it took a lot of convincing for President Buhari to approve the cash.
Part of the report reads
“It should have happened sooner, but the president was hesitating about freeing the five – and especially about the money,” says the person with detailed knowledge of the deal.
Persuading him was “very, very difficult. It was the most difficult part of the whole negotiation. He didn’t want to pay any money.
“The ransom was two million euros. Boko Haram asked for euros. They chose the suspects and they gave us the list of girls who would be freed.”
Governments rarely admit to paying a ransom, and this claim could not be independently verified.
Reaching that point took a lot of time and there were many setbacks, but trust was gradually built on both sides. The Nigerian army’s surge of military success helped strengthen the government’s hand.
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