A fact-check by Legit.ng has debunked a claim by Ife Salako, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), that Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported President Bola Tinubu's administration paid $7 million to terrorists to secure the release of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo state. The claim, posted on Salako's verified social media account on July 20, 2026, is misleading and not supported by evidence.
Origin of the Misleading Claim
Salako wrote: "AFP is reporting that Tinubu paid kidnappers billions to rescue the Oyo victims." He attached a screenshot and video to support his assertion. However, Legit.ng's investigation revealed that the AFP report cited by Salako was from February 2026 and concerned a different incident: the abduction of pupils and staff from a Catholic school in Niger state in November 2025, not the Oyo school abduction.
The AFP investigation alleged that the Nigerian government paid a "huge" ransom, reportedly millions of dollars, to Boko Haram for the release of up to 230 pupils and staff. It also claimed two Boko Haram commanders were released as part of the deal, despite Nigerian law prohibiting ransom payments. The Nigerian government, through Minister of Information Mohammed Idris, denied the allegations as "completely false and baseless."
Video Misattributed to Oyo Abduction
The video reposted by Salako was originally produced by media personality Adeola Fayehun and shared on X by user @NaturalDoris on July 19, 2026, with the caption: "Tinubu Paid Boko Haram $7 Million?!" The video's commentary explicitly referenced the Niger state abduction, not the Oyo incident. Fayehun's satirical analysis focused on the November 2025 kidnapping in Niger state.
Legit.ng's review found no AFP report as of July 20, 2026, linking President Tinubu's government to a ransom payment for the Oyo school victims. The Oyo abduction occurred in May 2026, when over 40 pupils and teachers were taken from schools in Oriire Local Government Area. On July 10, 2026, the Nigerian military announced the rescue of the victims and the arrest of some captors, with several security personnel losing their lives during the operation.
Official Response and Ongoing Legal Action
The Nigerian government has consistently denied paying ransoms. Following the rescue, the Federal Government arraigned three suspects—Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani—before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 10-count charge including terrorism, kidnapping, and illegal mining. The victims received medical treatment and have since returned home.
Salako's claim has been widely shared on social media, but fact-checkers confirm it is false. The AFP report he referenced was about a separate incident and did not involve the Oyo abduction. As of this publication, no credible evidence supports the allegation that the Tinubu administration paid a ransom for the Oyo schoolchildren.
