ABUJA, Nigeria— Nigeria’s government is facing fresh scrutiny after an AFP investigation alleged that officials paid a large ransom to Boko Haram-linked militants to secure the release of abducted pupils and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, a claim authority have strongly denied. Africanews, carrying AFP’s report, said intelligence sources alleged the deal included cash and the release of two Boko Haram commanders.
The mass abduction took place on November 21, 2025, when gunmen seized more than 300 schoolchildren and 12 staff from the Catholic boarding school in Papiri, in one of Nigeria’s worst school kidnappings in recent years. At least 50 victims reportedly escaped early, while the remaining captives were released in stages and reunited with families by late December, according to Reuters and AP coverage at the time.
According to AFP’s reporting, cited by Africanews, four intelligence sources familiar with the negotiations said the government paid a “huge” ransom after talks led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The report says estimates varied: one source put the figure at roughly 40 million naira per hostage (about $7 million total), while another estimated 2 billion naira overall. AFP also alleged the money was flown by helicopter to Boko Haram’s stronghold in Gwoza, Borno State, and handed to commander Ali Ngulde.
AFP further reported that a feared jihadist commander known as Sadiku was allegedly behind the Papiri kidnapping, marking a potentially significant Boko Haram link to a mass school abduction in Nigeria’s north-central region. The group has historically been strongest in the northeast, though criminal and jihadist networks have increasingly overlapped across wider parts of the country.
Nigerian officials, however, maintain that no ransom was paid. AFP quoted the State Security Service as saying “government agents don’t pay ransoms.” That denial is politically and legally significant: Reuters has reported that Nigeria’s anti-kidnapping law framework criminalizes ransom payments, and President Bola Tinubu has publicly instructed security forces in past mass abduction cases to secure releases without payment. The allegations also come amid heightened international focus on Nigeria’s security crisis. Reuters and AP reported that the United States carried out coordinated strikes on Islamic State-linked militants in northwest Nigeria on December 25, 2025, in an operation announced by President Donald Trump and conducted with Nigerian cooperation.
If confirmed, the AFP allegations would intensify debate over whether Nigeria can realistically uphold a no-ransom policy while confronting increasingly sophisticated kidnap networks targeting schools and civilians.
