ADC Questions Tinubu's Alleged N10bn Ransom Payment

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised concerns regarding reports that President Tinubu's administration allegedly paid a N10 billion ransom for the release of two senior Boko Haram commanders and the safe return of abducted students and staff from St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, Niger.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mallam Nation, the ADC's national public secretary, highlighted that the government had previously denied paying ransom for the release of victims. The ADC criticized the administration for potentially engaging in negotiations with terrorists, which contradicts the government's public position against ransom payments as outlined in the Terrorism Prevention Prohibition Act of 2022.

The party emphasized that such actions could incentivize future kidnappings and undermine national security, calling for clarity from the federal government on whether any ransom was paid directly or indirectly related to the Papiri abductions.