BY MUSA IDRIS UMAR, FEBRUARY 24, 2026 | 06:42 PM
The Federal Government on Nigeria has denied allegations that it paid ransom or released militant commanders to secure the freedom of abducted pupils from St. Mary’s boarding school in Niger State.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, described the claims as false and baseless.
The statement followed reports attributed to international wire services alleging that the government paid a huge ransom and freed two commanders as part of the rescue deal.
The government said no ransom was paid and no militant commanders were released.
It stated that the allegations undermine the professionalism of Nigeria’s security forces.
The government said the claims were built on anonymous sources rather than on-the-record statements from constituted authorities.
It noted that the office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, and the leadership of the National Assembly had publicly refuted the ransom claims.
The statement said contradictions in the reported figures exposed the speculative nature of the allegations.
It described as fiction the claim that ransom was delivered by helicopter with cross-border confirmation of receipt.
The Department of State Services was quoted as dismissing the helicopter claim as fake.
The government said the rescue of the pupils was achieved through intelligence and coordinated security operations.
It said the children were freed without casualty.
The statement added that Nigeria is confronting organized criminal networks driven by profit.
The government urged the media to verify facts before publishing reports that could undermine troop morale or embolden criminals.
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