Boko Haram demands $300,000 ransom for ex-Borno LG Vice Chairman, other

A video circulating online has shown two men, reportedly abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents in Borno State, appealing for urgent intervention as their captors demand a substantial ransom.

The abductors were asking for $300,000 as ransom for the release of two persons.

One of the abductees was identified as Hon. Hassan Biu Miringa, a former vice chairman of Biu Local Government Area, who appeared visibly distressed while calling on authorities and community leaders to help secure their release.

The victims were reportedly seized on December 17, 2025, during a journey from Miringa to Maiduguri, the state capital. In the video, they said the insurgents are demanding $150,000 each, amounting to $300,000, roughly N423 million, for their freedom.

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One of the men said they were taken around 2:30 p.m., adding that they remain alive but urgently need assistance.

“We were abducted on our way to Maiduguri. By Allah’s mercy, we are still alive,” he said. “We appeal to the authorities and well-meaning citizens to come to our rescue.”

The captives specifically requested intervention from Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur, Hon. Mukhtar Betara Aliyu, Hon. Sule Ali Rimi, Hon. Yakubu Gambo Kimba, and Alhaji Musa Dogo Biu.

“They are asking $150,000 for each of us. We are pleading for help and praying to be reunited with our families,” one of the victims added.
Security agencies had not issued an official statement on the abduction as of the time of reporting.