Nigeria Denies Paying Ransom for Abducted Pupils
Last update: February 24, 2026
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The report had claimed that Nigeria government paid Boko Haram militants a "huge" ransom of millions of dollars to free up to 230 children and staff the jihadists abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State last November...
The Nigerian government on Tuesday rejected allegations that it paid a “huge” ransom and released militant commanders to secure the freedom of schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s boarding school in Niger State.
In a statement, Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris described the claims as “completely false and baseless”, saying they undermined the professionalism and integrity of Nigeria’s security forces.
“It is a disservice to the professionalism and integrity of Nigeria’s security forces and the sacrifices they make daily,” he said.
Idris said that while the government respects press freedom, it “firmly rejects a narrative built on shadowy, unnamed sources seeking to undermine the credibility of a sovereign government acting within its laws.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, no ransom was paid, and no militant commanders were freed,” he added.
He said the allegations relied entirely on anonymous “intelligence sources” and individuals “familiar with the talks”, contrasting them with on-the-record denials from constituted authorities.
The Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the leadership of the National Assembly have all publicly refuted claims that any ransom was paid, he said.
Idris added that the report contained contradictions, including conflicting accounts of the alleged ransom, which he said exposed its speculative nature.
“The assertion that ransom was delivered by helicopter to insurgents, with cross-border confirmation of receipt, is fiction,” he said, noting that the DSS had dismissed the claim as fake.
Nigeria is confronting a structured, profit-driven criminal enterprise, the minister said, adding that the successful rescue of the pupils without casualties resulted from professional intelligence work and operational precision.
He said the federal government remained committed to national security and urged the media to verify facts before publishing reports that could embolden criminal groups or undermine troop morale.
