\n\nThe Nigerian government has rejected claims that it paid a multi-million dollar ransom to secure the release of dozens of students and staff abducted from a Catholic school by Boko Haram militants.
The denial comes in response to an investigation by Agence France-Presse (AFP) published on Tuesday, which alleged that the government not only paid a “huge” ransom but also freed two senior Boko Haram commanders to facilitate the hostages’ freedom.
The mass kidnapping took place in November in north-central Niger state and was one of the largest abduction incidents in the country’s recent history.
In an official statement, Nigeria’s Information Minister dismissed the report, insisting that the hostages were freed through “professional intelligence and operational precision.”
“The Federal Government states that these 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,” he added.
