FG DEBUNKS RANSOM PAYMENT CLAIMS IN RELEASE OF NIGER SCHOOL CHILDREN

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BY JENN NOMAMIUKOR

The federal government has rejected claims that money was given or leaders of armed groups were freed in return for the release of students taken hostage from St. Mary’s boarding school in Niger state.

A statement on Tuesday by Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, said the allegations are “completely false and baseless, and constitute a disservice to the professionalism and integrity of Nigeria’s security forces and the sacrifices they make daily”.

The minister noted that the claims of ransom payment had already been publicly debunked by the office of the national security adviser (ONSA), the department of state services (DSS), and the leadership of the national assembly.

He said the report contains conflicting accounts of how the alleged ransom was delivered, showing that the claims lack credibility.

“The report itself reveals contradictions that expose its speculative character, presenting sharply conflicting accounts regarding the alleged ransom. Such inconsistency underscores a lack of direct knowledge and undermines the credibility of the claims,” the statement reads.

“The assertion that ransom was delivered by helicopter to insurgents, with cross-border confirmation of receipt, is fiction. The DSS has formally dismissed this claim as fake and laughable.

“Nigeria is confronting a structured, profit-driven criminal enterprise. The successful rescue of the pupils, without casualty, was the result of professional intelligence and operational precision.”

He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property of all Nigerians.