Storytimes Newspapers

  In a revelation that has sparked intense debate and official denials, multiple intelligence sources have claimed that the Nigerian federal government secretly paid a substantial ransom—estimated in the millions of dollars—to Islamist militant group Boko Haram to secure the freedom of up to 230 pupils and staff abducted from St. Mary's Catholic Boarding School in Papiri, Niger State, last November. The mass abduction occurred on November 21, 2025, when gunmen stormed the school in the central-western state of Niger, seizing children, teachers, and other staff. While at least 50 victims reportedly escaped shortly afterward, the remaining hostages were held for approximately two weeks before their release following negotiations reportedly led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. Official government statements, including from the National Security Adviser himself, have consistently maintained that no ransom was paid and that the release resulted from "professional intellige...