Tinubu Govt Paid N10bn Ransom To Boko Haram Through NSA Ribadu, Freed Commanders To Secure Release Of Kidnapped Catholic Pupils- AFP

Abuja, Nigeria– Agence France-Presse (AFP) has alleged that the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu secretly paid billions of naira to Boko Haram insurgents to secure the release of nearly 230 abducted schoolchildren and teachers — in direct violation of Nigeria’s anti-ransom laws.

According to AFP, the deal included not only a “huge” cash payment running into millions of dollars but also the release of two Boko Haram commanders.

The pupils and staff were kidnapped on November 21 from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger State. While Nigerian authorities publicly maintained that no ransom was paid, intelligence sources cited in the AFP report claim otherwise.

Four security sources familiar with the negotiations told AFP that the government agreed to pay as much as N10 billion to secure the release of the victims.

One source estimated the ransom at 40 million naira per child — amounting to roughly $7 million — while another placed the total at about N2 billion.

The negotiations were reportedly led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The children were freed in batches after two weeks in captivity.

AFP reported that the ransom money was delivered by helicopter to Boko Haram’s Gwoza stronghold in Borno State, near the Cameroon border.

The funds were allegedly handed over to Ali Ngulde, a Boko Haram commander.

However, due to poor communication networks in the remote area, Ngulde reportedly crossed into Cameroon to confirm receipt of the money before the first batch of 100 children was released.

Two Boko Haram commanders were also said to have been freed as part of the deal — a move critics say emboldens insurgents and undermines Nigeria’s counterterrorism laws.

Despite the detailed claims, Nigerian officials have flatly denied paying any ransom.

The Department of State Services (DSS) insisted that “government agents don’t pay ransoms,” while other officials maintained that the children were rescued through strategic security operations.

The Presidency has yet to respond directly to the AFP findings at the time of filing this report.

The mass abduction was reportedly orchestrated by a feared Boko Haram commander known as Sadiku.

Though Boko Haram had not initially claimed responsibility, intelligence sources told AFP that Sadiku’s network in Niger State carried out the attack.

Sadiku previously gained notoriety in 2022 after allegedly halting a passenger train from Abuja and extracting hefty ransoms from government officials and wealthy travelers.

Boko Haram, which has waged a brutal insurgency since 2009, remains strongest in Nigeria’s northeast.

However, splinter cells have increasingly expanded operations into central states, exploiting weak security presence and porous borders.

The reported ransom payment could strain Nigeria’s international counterterrorism partnerships.

US President Donald Trump, who has taken a hardline stance against jihadist groups and previously ordered air strikes targeting extremists in northern Nigeria, may view the alleged payment as undermining global anti-terror financing efforts.

Nigeria has battled waves of kidnappings by both criminal gangs and jihadist groups, with victims often released only after families or communities raise large sums of money.