Armed militants who abducted five chiefs in Mandera are demanding for Sh6 million before letting them walk back to Kenya.
The Standard has established that the elders who have been leading negotiation efforts had briefed the families that the militia linked to terror group Al Shabaab wanted Sh6 million in exchange for the chiefs' freedom.
This is after it was reported that the chiefs had been released on Sunday after two months in captivity.
However, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Monday their release but said the five were still in Somalia.
