ABUJA, Nigeria (SCANS) — The Nigerian government on Tuesday vehemently rejected media reports alleging it paid ransom money — and released militant commanders — to secure the release of dozens of children and teachers abducted from a Catholic school in Papiri, Niger State late last year, officials said.
The denials came after an Agence France-Presse investigation claimed a “huge” ransom was paid to insurgents believed to be linked with Boko Haram.
In an official statement in Abuja, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris described the reports circulating in both international and local media as “completely false and baseless,” asserting they undermine the integrity and professionalism of Nigerian security forces.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no ransom was paid, and no militant commanders were freed,” Idris said.
The government has maintained that the successful rescue of the abducted pupils and staff was the result of coordinated intelligence work and operational precision by security agencies, not financial inducements.
Officials cited collaboration between the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, and military units as central to the effort.
AFP’s report, published earlier this week, cited unnamed intelligence sources claiming that millions of dollars in ransom funds were handed over and that two commanders were released as part of the negotiations to free up to 230 hostages kidnapped on Nov. 21, 2025.
The report said funds were reportedly delivered by helicopter to insurgent positions in Borno State.
In response, the federal government criticized the investigation’s dependence on anonymous sources and contradictory details — including the helicopter delivery claim, which officials called “fiction” — and urged media outlets to verify facts before publishing, warning that unverified reports could embolden criminal networks and hurt troop morale.
The controversy has drawn attention from political and civil groups within Nigeria, where kidnapping for ransom has become a persistent security challenge.
Opposition parties including the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress have called for greater transparency and independent inquiry into the events surrounding the school abduction and release.
The mass abduction of the St. Mary’s pupils and staff is one of the largest on record in recent years, and the government’s handling of the rescue has become a flashpoint amid ongoing debates over strategies to combat militant and criminal violence across the country.
