A faction of Boko Haram, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian government, threatening to kill 416 captives, mostly women and children, if its demands are not met.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, a masked spokesperson said the countdown has begun and warned of mass executions in Borno State if authorities fail to comply.
Speaking in Hausa, he declared: “We are a group of people from Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, devoted to our cause. Our leader is Imam Abu Mu’min al-Muhajir. Today is the 19th of April, 2026. May God guide us.”
He added: “We are sending a message today to BOSYA, the South Youth Alliance, the Nigerian government, and the Nigerian government, not our government. This is our first message, and it will also be the last,”
The group insisted both sides already know the terms and warned against any changes: “We are giving you seventy-two (72) hours… Do not add or change anything beyond what we have told you.”
They issued a direct threat: “If these demands are not met within seventy-two hours, we will begin to execute the women and small children… They will be shot,”
They also warned against military intervention: “If you attempt to recover them by force… it will only make matters worse,”
The spokesperson stressed the threat was real: “This is not a bluff… We are not people who make empty threats, we act on what we say.”
As of reporting time, the Nigerian government has not issued any official response.
Watch video here.
