The Federal Government has dismissed as false and misleading reports alleging 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 issued on Tuesday in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the claims—attributed to unnamed international wire service sources—as baseless and damaging to the integrity of Nigeria’s security agencies.
TheFact Daily recalls that the pupils were abducted in a recent attack on St. Mary’s Boarding School in Niger State, an incident that sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over insecurity and the targeting of educational institutions. The schoolchildren were later rescued in an operation the government said was carefully coordinated by security and intelligence agencies.
Idris said the allegations of ransom payment relied entirely on anonymous “intelligence sources” and individuals “familiar with the talks,” while constituted authorities had issued categorical, on-the-record denials.
He noted that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the leadership of the National Assembly had all publicly refuted claims that any ransom was paid or militant commanders released.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no ransom was paid, and no militant commanders were freed,” the minister stated.
He further argued that the report contained internal contradictions, particularly regarding the size and delivery of the alleged ransom, describing claims that money was transported by helicopter to insurgents with cross-border confirmation as “fiction.” The DSS, he added, had formally dismissed the assertion as fake and laughable.
The minister maintained that Nigeria is confronting what he described as a structured, profit-driven criminal enterprise, stressing that the successful rescue of the pupils without casualties was the result of professional intelligence gathering and operational precision.
He urged media organisations to verify information before publication, warning that speculative reporting could embolden criminal elements and undermine troop morale.
