Government allegedly paid ransom for abducted pupils

The Nigerian Government allegedly 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 November, an AFP investigation has revealed. According to africanews, two Boko Haram commanders were also freed as part of the deal, which goes against the country's own law banning payments to kidnappers. The money was delivered by helicopter to Boko Haram's Gwoza stronghold in northeastern Borno state on the border with Cameroon, intelligence sources told AFP. The decision to pay the militants is likely to irritate US President Donald Trump, who ordered air strikes on jihadists in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day and has sent military trainers to help support Nigerian forces. Nigerian Government officials deny any ransom was paid to the armed gang that snatched close to 300 schoolchildren and staff from St Mary's boarding school on 21 November. At least 50 later managed to escape their captors. Sources said one of Boko Haram’s most feared commanders was behind the mass abduction: the notorious jihadist known as Sadiku. He infamously held up a train from the capital in 2022 and netted hefty ransoms for the release of government officials and other well-off passengers. Nigeria's State Security Service flatly denied paying any money, saying ‘government agents don't pay ransoms’. However, four intelligence sources said the government paid a ‘huge’ ransom to get the pupils back. One source put it at 40m naira per head – around $7m in total.

Full africanews report