The Borno State Government has dismissed reports suggesting that ransom was paid to secure the release of 360 abductees rescued from the Mandara Mountains, a known terrorist stronghold in the southern part of the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, refuted the claims during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday.
On Sunday, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) announced the rescue of the abductees from a Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) enclave.
In a statement, OPHK’s Acting Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Haruna Sani, said the operation was conducted by Special Forces and troops of Sector 1 following weeks of intelligence gathering, covert reconnaissance and meticulous operational planning.
According to him, the victims—comprising men, women and children—had been held under harsh conditions after being abducted from several communities, particularly around the Ngoshe axis.
Speaking on the rescue operation, Tar insisted that no ransom was paid, describing the mission as a successful intelligence-led operation carried out by the military with support from the Department of State Services (DSS).
“Who paid the ransom? And the ransom was paid to who? Where is the evidence?” he asked.
“We are the operatives on the ground. There was no ransom payment. There was a daring military operation with intelligence support from the DSS that led to the rescue of the 360 citizens. That is the fact on the ground. If there are any counter facts, then you can pursue that.”
The commissioner also argued that the Boko Haram insurgency has evolved from its original ideological roots into a criminal enterprise centred on abduction and exploitation.
“The Boko Haram insurgency started as a result of the ideological mindset of a few individuals who started the campaigns,” he said.
“But those individuals have gone. The Boko Haram insurgency has since transmuted into a big business. So that is what is going on right now, and there is no other explanation.”
While acknowledging differing views on the nature of the insurgency, Tar maintained that the state government views the group as a criminal organisation bent on terrorising civilians.
“As far as we are concerned, we are dealing with criminals who are out to vandalise, criminalise and terrorise our people, and we are not going to rest on our oars,” he said.
