The administration of President Bola Tinubu allegedly paid a ransom running into billions of naira 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 AFP citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
More than 300 pupils and staff were kidnapped in November when gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri. The incident triggered national outrage and renewed concerns over mass abductions across the country.
In its report published 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 Catholic 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 Nigeria’s law prohibiting ransom payments to kidnappers.
Quoting two sources, AFP reported that “the total ransom at N40 million per head — around $7 million in total”, while “another put the figure lower at N2 billion overall”.
The reported $7 million payment was said to cover 230 schoolchildren and an unspecified number of teaching staff, with figures varying across official accounts. At an exchange rate of N1,400 to the dollar, $7 million translates to approximately N9.8 billion.
As of the time of filing this report, the President’s 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 secured 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 of the school.
Earlier, between November 21 and 22, about 50 pupils reportedly escaped from captivity.
The alleged ransom deal comes amid rising insecurity across the country. Since President Tinubu assumed office, hundreds of abductions and killings have been recorded in different parts of Nigeria.
Before the St. Mary’s incident, 25 girls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State were abducted by bandits, further underscoring the persistent threat posed by armed groups targeting schools.
