Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has mocked the Federal Government’s response to a report that it paid ransom running into millions of dollars to secure the release of abducted students in Niger State.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported Tuesday that its investigation uncovered that the Federal Government paid millions of dollars to secure the release of up to 230 pupils and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Secondary and Primary School, Papiri, Niger State on November 21.

The news agency quoted a security source as saying FG paid up to $7 million while another pegged the figure at N2 billion.

The report further stated that two senior Boko Haram commanders were released as part of ransom negotiations.

AFP further reported that the funds were transported via helicopter to Gwoza in Borno State, a Boko Haram stronghold near the Cameroon border.

However, the Federal Government denied paying any ransom to secure the release of the abductees.

In a Tuesday statement, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris described report of ransom payment as “completely false and baseless” and a disservice to the professionalism and integrity of Nigeria’s security forces.

“While we respect the freedom of the press, we firmly reject a narrative built on shadowy, unnamed sources seeking to undermine the credibility of a sovereign government acting within its laws.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no ransom was paid, and no militant commanders were freed,” the minister stated.

But in a Wednesday post on Facebook, Atiku’s aide described the rebuttal as “very hollow”.

Ibe said, “The FG’s defence to AFP’s @afpfr investigative reporting that it payed N2 billion (or even N10 billion) for the release of the 230 Papiri school children abducted November 21, 2025 from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Niger State, rings very hollow.

“We would like to know how the touted so-called “recent rescue operations…carried out through coordinated security interventions, intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration” has not led to the arrest or killing of those behind these legion of kidnappings: Kuriga, 287 children (2024): Birnin Yauri, 25 girls (2025); Sokoto, 15 children, among others.

“Recall that the same FG had in September of last year been accused of behind schemes of shelling out billions of Naira and food to the enemies of Nigeria.” (The Sun)