…NSA Office Says No
…AFP Claims Millions Changed Hands
By Jeremy Fregene
Fresh controversy has erupted over the Federal Government’s handling of the November abduction of nearly 230 pupils and staff of St. Mary’s boarding school in Papiri, Niger State, following conflicting claims over whether ransom was paid to secure their freedom.
While the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has firmly denied that any money exchanged hands, an investigation by AFP, citing multiple intelligence sources, alleged that the government paid millions of dollars to Boko Haram commanders as part of a negotiated deal.
The pupils and staff were abducted on November 21 from the Catholic school, with at least 50 later escaping. The remaining victims were released after about two weeks of negotiations reportedly led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Government officials have consistently maintained that no ransom was paid, in line with Nigeria’s 2022 law criminalising ransom payments, which prescribes up to 15 years’ imprisonment for violators. A spokesperson for the State Security Service said, “Government agents don’t pay ransoms,” although he acknowledged that families sometimes independently pay to secure the release of relatives.
However, AFP quoted four intelligence sources familiar with the negotiations as saying a “huge” ransom was paid to commanders of Boko Haram. According to the report, the funds — variously estimated at between two billion naira and up to $7 million — were allegedly transported by helicopter to the group’s stronghold in Gwoza, Borno State, and delivered to a militant commander identified as Ali Ngulde.
The report further claimed that two Boko Haram commanders were released as part of the deal, and that confirmation of the payment was made after communication from across the Cameroon border due to network limitations in the area.
Boko Haram has not previously been directly linked to the Niger abduction, but AFP sources alleged that a notorious commander known as Sadiku masterminded the operation. Sadiku has also been linked by security analysts to previous high-profile attacks and kidnappings, including the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack.
The alleged payment, if confirmed, would contradict the government’s public stance against ransom negotiations and could raise legal and diplomatic questions, particularly amid heightened international scrutiny of Nigeria’s security challenges.
Nigeria has faced persistent mass kidnappings by criminal gangs and jihadist factions, with data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project indicating 828 abductions in the past year alone — more than in Mexico and Colombia combined.
Security analysts say kidnapping has evolved into a structured, profit-driven enterprise, with armed groups targeting schools, commuters and rural communities for financial gain.
Despite repeated denials from the NSA’s office and other security agencies, AFP’s claims have intensified debate over the government’s strategy in handling mass abductions, especially those involving schoolchildren and other high-profile victims.
As of press time, there has been no official response directly addressing the specific figures and operational details cited in the AFP report.