Emboldening Terrorism with Ransom Payments
Though the federal government last week denied paying ransom to terrorists for the rescue of schoolchildren, security analysts believe that those who pay ransom are unwittingly sponsoring terrorism and banditry in Nigeria, Davidson Iriekpen writes
The federal government last week vehemently rejected the reports that it paid ransom or released militant commanders to secure the freedom of pupils and staff abducted from St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State.
About 300 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped by gunmen in the attack on November 21, 2025. While about 50 of them were said to have later escaped, others remained in the kidnappers’ den.
But on December 22, 2025, Nigerian officials celebrated what they described as rescue efforts that led to the return of the pupils and staff of the school.
However, last week, news circulating on social media alleged that the government paid N2billion to Boko Haram terrorists in exchange for the 230 pupils and staff of St Mary’s Catholic School.
But in a statement last Tuesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described as “false and baseless” claims circulating in sections of the international media that the government paid a huge ransom and freed two senior Boko Haram commanders to secure the release.
According to him, no ransom was paid, and no detainees were released. He said the allegations attributed to unnamed intelligence sources undermined the professionalism and sacrifices of Nigeria’s security forces. He noted that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the leadership of the National Assembly had all publicly refuted the claims.
Idris also dismissed reports alleging that ransom was delivered by helicopter to insurgents, describing the narrative as fictitious and inconsistent. He maintained that the pupils’ rescue was achieved through coordinated intelligence and operational efforts, stressing that the government remains committed to tackling what he described as a structured, profit-driven criminal enterprise.
The reports had claimed that the terrorists demanded $7 million as ransom before they would release the victims, but that the federal government paid N2 billion. It also claimed that the government agreed to release Boko Haram commanders as part of the deal.
According to the report, the federal government flew the money on a helicopter to Boko Haram’s stronghold in Gwoza, Borno State. It delivered it to a militant commander, Ali Ngulde, who is in charge of the area.
The reports added that due to communication issues in the area, Ngulde had to travel to Cameroon, which shares a border with the area, to confirm receipt of the money. It was after the confirmation that the terrorists released the children.
Sources that claimed to be privy to the negotiation said the negotiations took two weeks and that the terrorists demanded N40 million per victim, amounting to $7 million.
It was also alleged that the federal government paid a huge ransom to secure the release of the 24 students abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, who spent seven days in captivity on November 25, 2025. Though no details were provided on how the students were released, neither the military nor the federal government confirmed whether any of those involved in their abductions were killed.
While the federal government has consistently maintained that it would not negotiate with terrorists or pay ransom to terrorists, security analysts believe rescue operations cannot succeed without a financial exchange or neutralizing the kidnappers by security agents.
They wonder how security agencies can rescue kidnapped victims without arresting or killing the terrorists.
Terrorists now rely heavily on kidnappings for quick cash to fund logistics, procure weapons, and take care of the welfare of fighters.
Ransom payments by individuals and those facilitated by agents of governments, as well as cattle rustling, have become the major sources of funding for terrorists’ operations.
Security experts have warned that the payment of ransom has turned abduction into a structured criminal industry. Recent assessments revealed hundreds of mass kidnappings recorded within a year, making Nigeria one of the most affected countries globally.
In a kidnapping in Kaduna, where scores of Christian worshippers were abducted last month, the state government ruled out paying a ransom.
The victims were later freed, but no details of the negotiations were made public.
There was no record of combat with or arrests of the terrorists. These have fuelled the belief that the government is paying ransom to save itself from the international embarrassment caused by these terrorists.
Authorities had also allegedly paid ransoms to rescue other victims of mass abductions and high-profile hostages. In December 2020, authorities in Katsina State reportedly paid N30 million (the equivalent of $78,000 at the time) to secure the release of 340 schoolchildren who had been seized from a boarding school in Kankara town.
Bandits’ leader Awwalun Daudawa, who masterminded the attack, confirmed the payment in a leaked recording of a phone conversation with a go-between.
Despite the 2022 law outlawing ransom payments, families and communities often raise funds secretly to rescue loved ones. In many cases, security personnel reportedly acted as intermediaries between victims’ relatives and the kidnappers.
In an interview with BBC Hausa recently, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd).
Amid persistent speculations that ransom payments were often made, particularly in cases involving schoolchildren, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), insisted in a BBC interview that sustained military pressure and intelligence-led operations remained the government’s primary strategy against abduction, banditry, and ransom payment.
Musa, who is also the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, explained that many rescued victims regained their freedom after security forces intensified operations against criminal hideouts, forcing kidnappers to flee and abandon their captives. He maintained that intelligence gathering and coordinated military action remained central to the government’s response to kidnapping across the country.
“The federal government does not pay ransom. Even if others do, the federal government does not,” he insisted.
The former CDS explained that paying ransoms simply encouraged the criminals and perpetuated the problem of kidnapping for financial gain. He appealed to families and communities affected by kidnapping incidents to involve security agencies and not deal directly with kidnappers quickly.
In a country where security agencies were notorious for arriving at crime scenes far after the bandits would have successfully operated and vanished, the people have resorted to self-help by paying ransom to save their loved ones.
A northern security analyst who preferred anonymity told THISDAY that the federal government’s warning to people not to pay ransom was deceptive.
“Armed groups cannot release large numbers of hostages without getting something in return, especially when the government cannot provide any evidence showing that any of the criminals were killed or arrested during the rescue operation. If federal and state governments can pay ransom, why won’t we pay? Do you know many people have lost their lives because their families and friends were not able to raise funds to save them?” he stated.
