A report by international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) has alleged that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu quietly authorized the payment of billions of naira to Boko Haram insurgents to secure the release of nearly 230 abducted pupils and staff members from a Niger State boarding school — a move that would contradict Nigeria’s anti-ransom legislation.
According to the report, the alleged payment followed the November 21 kidnapping at St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger State. The attack initially saw close to 300 students and school workers taken captive, though around 50 were said to have escaped shortly after the abduction.
Intelligence sources quoted by AFP claimed the government paid a substantial ransom, with estimates ranging between ₦2 billion and ₦10 billion. One source suggested the amount averaged roughly ₦40 million per hostage, placing the total near $7 million, while others maintained the lower ₦2 billion estimate.
The funds were reportedly airlifted by helicopter into a Boko Haram-controlled area in Gwoza, Borno State, close to the Cameroon border. The money was allegedly handed over to Ali Ngulde, described as a senior commander within the extremist group. Due to limited telecommunications in the remote location, Ngulde was said to have crossed into Cameroon to confirm receipt before the first group of 100 captives was released.
The investigation identified a Boko Haram figure known as Sadiku as the suspected architect of the abduction. Sadiku, previously linked to the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train attack where significant ransoms were reportedly extracted, is believed to run a militant cell in Niger State despite Boko Haram’s traditional base in Nigeria’s northeast.
AFP further reported that two detained Boko Haram commanders were freed during the negotiation process — a development that could spark concern among security experts and international allies.
While the Nigerian government has consistently denied paying ransoms, with the Department of State Services (DSS) stating that government agents do not engage in such transactions, multiple intelligence sources cited in the report claimed otherwise. They alleged that the negotiations were conducted through back-channel discussions reportedly led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, lasting approximately two weeks before the hostages were freed.
If substantiated, the alleged payment could complicate Nigeria’s counterterrorism posture and strain relations with the United States, which has previously supported Nigeria’s security efforts, including military cooperation under President Donald Trump.
Nigeria criminalized ransom payments in 2022, making it unlawful for individuals or institutions to pay kidnappers. Confirmation of any government-sanctioned payout would therefore represent a significant breach of that statute.
As of the time of reporting, the Presidency had not released a new official statement directly addressing the AFP claims.