The Federal Government has denied claims that it paid ransom or released militant leaders to secure the freedom of schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Boarding School in Niger State.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the reports as false, misleading, and damaging to the credibility of Nigeria’s security agencies.
He said the government respects press freedom but rejected what he called narratives based on unnamed sources and speculation aimed at undermining the authority of the state and the integrity of its security institutions.
According to the minister, no money was paid to kidnappers and no detained militant commanders were released to facilitate the rescue of the abducted pupils.
The government also faulted the reports for containing contradictory claims, including allegations that ransom was delivered by helicopter and confirmed across borders. These assertions were dismissed by security authorities as fabricated and unrealistic.
The minister explained that the successful rescue operation, which resulted in the release of the pupils without any casualties, was achieved through coordinated intelligence gathering and carefully executed security operations.
He further warned that unverified reports could encourage criminal groups and weaken the morale of security personnel, urging the media to always confirm facts before publication.
The pupils were abducted on November 21 when gunmen attacked St. Mary’s Boarding School in Papiri, Niger State. Some of the victims reportedly escaped during the incident, while others were released after about two weeks.
