The administration of President Bola Tinubu allegedly paid billions of naira in ransom and released two senior Boko Haram commanders to secure the freedom of pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.
More than 300 pupils and staff were kidnapped in November when gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, triggering national outrage and renewed concerns over mass abductions across the country.
In its report published on Monday, AFP alleged that the Nigerian government paid Boko Haram militants a “huge” ransom amounting to millions of dollars to secure the release of up to 230 children and staff abducted from the school.
Beyond the financial payment, the report claimed that two Boko Haram commanders were freed as part of the deal — a move that would contravene Nigerian law prohibiting ransom payments to kidnappers.
Quoting two sources familiar with the negotiations, AFP reported that “the total ransom at N40 million per head — around $7 million in total,” while another source put the figure lower at N2 billion overall.
The reported $7 million payment, which at an exchange rate of N1,400 to the dollar amounts to approximately N9.8 billion, was said to cover 230 schoolchildren and an unspecified number of teaching staff, although figures varied across official accounts.
As of the time of filing this report, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga had not responded to requests for comment on the allegations.
However, AFP noted that the Office of the National Security Adviser, headed by Nuhu Ribadu, had repeatedly maintained that hostages were rescued without the payment of ransom to bandits.
On December 7, 2025, the government announced that 100 of the kidnapped schoolchildren had been freed. Subsequently, on December 21, authorities confirmed the release of 130 schoolchildren and staff members. Earlier, between November 21 and 22, about 50 pupils reportedly escaped from captivity.
The allegations come amid worsening insecurity in parts of the country. Since President Tinubu assumed office, hundreds of abductions and killings have been recorded nationwide.
Prior to the St. Mary’s incident, 25 girls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State were abducted by bandits, underscoring the persistent threat posed by armed groups targeting educational institutions.
