The Federal Government of Nigeria has firmly denied allegations that it paid a substantial ransom or released militant commanders to secure the release of schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger State, last November.
In a statement issued by the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, fnipr, the government described the claims—circulating in media reports attributed to international wire services—as “completely false and baseless.”
The allegations, reportedly based on anonymous “intelligence sources” and individuals “familiar with the talks,” suggested that a “huge” ransom was paid to secure the freedom of the abducted pupils and staff, with some accounts claiming the delivery of funds by helicopter and even cross-border confirmation of receipt. The statement rejected these details as “fiction,” noting that the Department of State Services (DSS) had formally dismissed them as “fake and laughable.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, no ransom was paid, and no militant commanders were freed,” the minister stated.
The government highlighted contradictions within the reports themselves, which presented conflicting figures and accounts, as evidence of their speculative nature. It contrasted these anonymous claims with explicit on-the-record denials from official sources, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the DSS, and the leadership of the National Assembly.
The abductions occurred in November, when gunmen seized more than 200 pupils and staff from the school. All victims were eventually freed by Christmas, with authorities describing the outcome as a successful operation resulting from “professional intelligence and operational precision,” achieved without casualties.
The statement emphasized that Nigeria is battling a “structured, profit-driven criminal enterprise” through kidnapping for ransom. It accused the reports of risking the emboldening of criminals and undermining the morale of security forces, who make daily sacrifices.
The Federal Government reiterated its unwavering commitment to national security and called on the media to verify facts rigorously before publishing such stories, while respecting press freedom.
The denial follows an earlier report by AFP citing unnamed sources alleging payments potentially amounting to billions of naira, linked in some analyses to Boko Haram elements. Opposition voices and some parties have called for greater transparency on the rescue circumstances.
