The Federal Government has denied reports alleging that it paid a large ransom and released militant commanders to secure the freedom of pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Boarding School in Niger State.

In a statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the government described the claims, attributed to international media reports, as false and unfounded. He said the allegations misrepresented the actions of security agencies involved in the rescue operation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no ransom was paid, and no militant commanders were freed,” the statement said, rejecting what it called a narrative based on unnamed and unverifiable sources.

The government noted that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the leadership of the National Assembly had publicly refuted the claims. It also dismissed as “fiction” assertions that ransom was delivered by helicopter to insurgents.

According to the statement, the DSS had formally described the helicopter claim as false. The government added that inconsistencies in the report further weakened its credibility.

The statement maintained that the pupils were rescued through coordinated intelligence efforts and operational precision, without casualties. It described kidnapping as a profit-driven criminal enterprise that the government remains determined to dismantle.

The Federal Government urged media organisations to verify information before publication, warning that speculative reports could undermine security operations and embolden criminal elements.