By Gabriel Ameh
The Federal Government has firmly denied allegations that it paid ransom or released militant commanders to secure the freedom of pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Boarding School in Niger State.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the claims attributed to unnamed international sources as “completely false and baseless.”
The government said no ransom was paid and no militant commanders were freed as part of efforts to rescue the schoolchildren.
According to the statement, the allegations rely on anonymous “intelligence sources” and individuals described as being “familiar with the talks,” rather than verifiable, on-the-record accounts from relevant authorities.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the leadership of the National Assembly have all publicly refuted the claims, the statement added.
The Federal Government also pointed to what it described as contradictions within the report, noting that conflicting accounts of the alleged ransom arrangement undermine its credibility.
It specifically dismissed as “fiction” claims that ransom payments were delivered by helicopter to insurgents, with cross-border confirmation of receipt. The DSS, the statement said, has formally rejected the assertion as fake.
The government maintained that the rescue of the pupils was carried out without casualties and was the result of coordinated intelligence and operational precision by security agencies.
Reaffirming its commitment to tackling insecurity, the Federal Government urged media organisations to verify information before publication, warning that speculative reporting could embolden criminal elements and affect troop morale.
The statement was signed by Mohammed Idris, Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, on February 24, 2026.
