Nigeria's Government Accused of Ransom Payments
Analysis based on 10 articles · First reported Feb 24, 2026 · Last updated Feb 24, 2026
The allegations of ransom payments by the Nigeria===Politics of Nigeria, coupled with rising insecurity, are likely to severely damage investor confidence and potentially lead to capital flight. This situation could also negatively impact Nigeria's creditworthiness and currency stability, as international bodies express concern over illicit financial flows.
The Nigeria===People s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Nigeria===Politics of Nigeria, led by President Bola Tinubu and the Nigeria===All Progressives Congress (APC), of allegedly paying substantial ransoms to criminal groups, including Boko Haram, to secure the release of kidnapped victims. These allegations, supported by reports from international and local media and data from the Nigeria===National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria, claim that N2.3 trillion was paid in ransom between May 2023 and April 2024, with over 2.2 million people kidnapped. The PDP highlights the hypocrisy of the government, which enacted the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 criminalizing ransom payments, yet is accused of engaging in such practices. The Nigeria===Politics of Nigeria has denied these claims, calling them 'false and baseless.' The event underscores Nigeria's deteriorating security situation, reflected in its poor global rankings for safety, peace, rule of law, and organized crime. The PDP urges the government to halt ransom payments, enforce the anti-terrorism act, and track illicit financial flows.
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