US EditionNigeria Government Denies Report It Paid 'Huge' Ransom to Boko Haram to Free St Mary's Pupils
Nigerian officials reject claims of a $1.5 million ransom payment to Boko Haram for over 200 abducted schoolchildren, calling the report false and damaging to security forces' credibility.
- Rejecting the allegations, Nigeria's federal government said the AFP report relied on unnamed sources and contradicted security officials, calling it 'fake and laughable'.
- AFP's report alleged payments of 40 naira per captive and about $1.5m total, with money flown to Boko Haram's Gwoza enclave in Borno state.
- While Boko Haram remains most active in Borno state, analysts linked the Papiri abduction to Boko Haram militant commander Sadiku, previously tied to high-profile kidnappings and the Chibok 2014 abduction.
- The presidency denied that two Boko Haram commanders were freed and noted the 2022 law criminalising ransom payments amid diplomatic scrutiny after a US congressional delegation's report on Monday.
- Security experts warn official denials may not reflect the complexity of behind-the-scenes negotiations amid a surge in ransom activity and the kidnap-for-profit industry, analysts note.
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The Minister of Information states that "these allegations are totally false" and assures that this release is the combined result of "intelligence" and "a very precise operation".
In Nigeria, the government denied on Tuesday, February 24, having paid a ransom to Boko Haram to secure the release of 230 children who had been kidnapped from their Catholic school in Niger State on November 23, 2025. The abduction of these students from St. Mary's School in Papiri, in central Nigeria, had shocked public opinion.
Nigeria: Government denies it paid ransom money to Boko Haram militants
Nigeria's government has denied it paid ransom money to free dozens of schoolchildren kidnapped from a catholic school in November. The coments come in report to an AFP report released Tuesday.
Papiri Abductions: Nigerian govt denies paying ransom to terrorists
AFP reported on Tuesday that the Nigerian government paid a "huge" ransom to Boko Haram and released two of its senior commanders to secure the release of the pupils. The post Papiri Abductions: Nigerian govt denies paying ransom to terrorists appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
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