Boko Haram terrorists are demanding a ransom of $500,000 for the release of the wife, police orderly, and driver of Justice Haruna Mshelia, a High Court judge in Borno State. A family source revealed that the insurgents rejected an initial offer of $50,000, insisting that the full amount must be paid before they release the remaining captives.
Justice Mshelia was kidnapped on June 24, 2024, alongside his wife, Binta Othman—a magistrate at Wulari Court in Maiduguri—his orderly, and his driver. While the terrorists freed him on September 8 after a significant ransom was paid, they conditioned his release on securing an additional $500,000 for his family’s freedom.
“We learned that the family managed to raise almost $50,000, but the insurgents turned down the offer, insisting on the full $500,000,” a source disclosed.
When contacted for an update on the abducted police orderly, the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, said he needed more time to gather information before making an official statement. Efforts to reach Justice Mshelia for comments have been unsuccessful, as his phone remains unreachable.
Meanwhile, Professor Abubakar Eljuma, Dean of the Technology Department at the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB), remains in captivity. Sources from the university said that his suspected Boko Haram abductors have not yet contacted either his family or the institution regarding his situation.
In a separate attack, suspected Boko Haram militants stormed a police station in Malari, Konduga Local Government Area, on Wednesday. The assailants attempted to damage an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), partially deflating its tyres before fleeing under heavy gunfire from security forces.
Confirming the attack, ASP Nahum Daso stated that the terrorists were met with superior firepower, forcing them to retreat with gunshot wounds. He added that the insurgents aimed to destroy vehicles and infrastructure in the area but were ultimately repelled.
