FG Paid N10bn To Boko Haram Terrorists To Secure Release Of Kidnapped Catholic Sch. Students

The federal government of Nigeria paid a whopping N10 billion to Boko Haram terrorists to secure the release of students of a Catholic school kidnapped  last year, according to Agence France-Presse.

 

The news agency claimed in a report published on Monday, citing various sources familiar with the issue that N40 million was paid per head,  for the release of the over 200 students and staff kidnapped by the group last November.

 

The magazine reports that the terrorists had in the early hours of November 20, 2025 abducted the students from St. Mary’s Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State. 

 

The students  were later released few weeks later, but the government was not categorical on the modalities of their release from their abductors.

 

The Nigerian government has also denied paying ransome to kidnappers, even though critics say such clsims may be far from reality, considering claims by terrorists that they often receive payment from the government to free their victims.

 

According to the report published by the French new agency, the Nigerian government paid the Boko Haram militants a ‘huge’ ransom of millions of dollars to free up to 230 children and staff the Islamic extremists kidnapped from the Catholic school.

 

In addition to the ransom paid in millions of dollars by the Tinubu government, the media outlet noted that two Boko Haram commanders were also freed as part of the deal, which goes against the country’s own law banning payments to kidnappers.

 

Citing two sources, AFP stated 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 $7 million reportedly covered the 230 schoolchildren and an unspecified number of teaching staff, figures that vary among official sources. At a dollar rate of N1,400, the total ransom amounts to about N9.8 billion.

 

 

On December 21, 2025, the federal government announced the release of 130 schoolchildren and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger, kidnapped by bandits on November 20.

 

Fifty of the pupils had earlier escaped between November 21 and 22.

 

Then, on December 7, the government announced that it had secured the release of 100 of the kidnapped schoolchildren.

 

Since Mr Tinubu assumed power, hundreds of abductions and killings have taken place.

 

Prior to the Catholic school pupils’ abduction, 25 young girls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi were abducted by bandits.

 

The president’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, did not immediately respond to requests for comments.