Ahmed noted that the first demand from Boko Haram was for justice against the police officers who had killed their leader, Mohammed Yusuf. They also requested that Yusuf’s home in Maiduguri be reconstructed, alongside a wish to be allowed to preach freely without fear of violence, and that their families be protected from harassment.
He expressed that the Jonathan administration failed to meet any of these demands. A year later, Jonathan established a presidential committee to negotiate with Boko Haram, of which Ahmed was a member. When he reached out to the group, they reiterated the same four conditions for their surrender.
Ahmed remarked, “President Obasanjo and Senator Shehu Sani visited them on their own initiative, clearly with President Jonathan’s approval. They engaged with several Boko Haram leaders in Maiduguri to understand their demands in an effort to end the conflict. If I recall correctly, they laid out four specific requirements.”
