The Nigerian government has vehemently rejected a media report alleging a substantial ransom payment to the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. The report, published by AFP news agency and citing intelligence sources, claimed that the government paid a "huge" ransom to secure the release of over 200 pupils and staff abducted from a Catholic boarding school in November. Information Minister Mohammed Idris strongly refuted the allegations, describing them as "completely false and baseless" and a "disservice to the professionalism and integrity" of Nigeria's security forces. He also denied claims that two Boko Haram commanders were freed as part of any such deal.

The AFP report had alleged that the ransom amounted to approximately 40 million naira (about $30,000 or £22,000) per captive, with another source suggesting a total payout of 2 billion naira (about $1.5 million). Furthermore, it claimed that the money was transported by air to Boko Haram's Gwoza enclave in Borno state and handed over to a local commander. Minister Idris dismissed these specific details as "fiction," stating, "The assertion that ransom was delivered by helicopter to insurgents, with cross-border confirmation of receipt, is fiction." He added that the domestic spy agency, the Department of State Services (DSS), had also "dismissed this claim as fake and laughable." Idris emphasized that the successful rescue of the pupils, without casualty, was the result of "professional intelligence and operational precision" in confronting what he described as a "structured, profit-driven criminal enterprise."

The kidnapping incident occurred on November 21 at St Mary's School in Papiri, located in the western state of Niger. All remaining pupils and staff were successfully rescued by security forces a few days before Christmas. Analysts cited by AFP suggested that the abduction was led by a notorious Boko Haram militant commander known as "Sadiku," who has been linked to other high-profile kidnappings and attacks. While Boko Haram's primary operations remain concentrated in the north-eastern state of Borno, where its insurgency began in 2009, splinter factions and other criminal networks have expanded their operations across significant parts of Nigeria's north-west and north-central regions.

This controversy over ransom payments is set against a backdrop of widespread "kidnap for ransom" activities in Nigeria, which has become a lucrative criminal enterprise. Perpetrators range from Islamist militants to gangs known as "bandits" and separatists. Boko Haram gained international notoriety in 2014 with the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok. Since then, Nigeria has experienced a surge in mass abductions, with analysts indicating that ransom payments by families, intermediaries, or even state authorities have contributed to what is now often termed a "kidnap-for-profit industry." Although a 2022 law criminalized the payment of ransoms, its enforcement remains challenging, often leading families to pay for the release of their relatives. Security experts have also noted that official denials do not always reflect the complexities of behind-the-scenes negotiations.

In a separate, but related, security development, a presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, announced the resignation of police chief Kayode Egbetokun. Egbetokun, a close ally of President Bola Tinubu, resigned a year before the end of his term, citing "pressing family considerations." His deputy, Tunji Disu, has been appointed as acting chief amid escalating security pressures across the nation.

The timing of these events is sensitive for the Nigerian government, as Abuja is currently under diplomatic scrutiny, particularly from the United States. A recent report by a US congressional delegation made sweeping recommendations aimed at addressing what it termed the long-running persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Presented at the White House by Republican Riley Moore, the report followed months of fieldwork, expert hearings, consultations with religious leaders, and discussions with displaced communities in central Nigeria. Moore stated, "I travelled on a bipartisan delegation to Nigeria and saw with my own eyes the horrific atrocities Christians face, and the instability the Nigerian government must combat." The report advocated for a new bilateral security pact, sanctions, and other reforms, including a ban on Nigeria's beef exports to compel armed herder groups to disarm, and legal reforms to protect religious freedom. The Nigerian government has yet to officially react to these recommendations, which echo concerns raised by the administration of US President Donald Trump late last year regarding the treatment of Christians in Nigeria. Trump had previously alleged a "Christian genocide" in the country, an accusation strongly rejected by Nigeria's government, which maintains that victims of attacks include Muslims, Christians, and individuals of no faith.