DSS arrests Borno youth leader after alleging ₦5 billion was paid to free Boko Haram hostages during live broadcast

• The DSS arrested the Borno State NYCN president after he claimed during a live broadcast that ₦5 billion was paid to Boko Haram to secure the release of 360 abducted women and children.

• The youth leader also alleged that Senator Ali Ndume facilitated or paid about ₦1.9 billion of the purported ransom, claims that have sparked widespread reactions.

• The Borno State Government has denied that any ransom was paid, insisting the hostages were rescued through an intelligence-led military operation involving Operation Hadin Kai and the DSS.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested the President of the Borno State Youth Association, Samaila Ibrahim Kaigama, after he publicly alleged that ₦5 billion was paid to Boko Haram insurgents to secure the release of hundreds of abducted women and children in Borno State.

The youth leader made the claims during a televised interview with Channels TV, where he alleged that the ransom was paid to facilitate the release of victims abducted during an insurgent attack on Ngoshe, a community in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

He also claimed that Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, facilitated or paid about ₦1.9 billion of the alleged ransom.

The allegations quickly went viral, sparking widespread reactions online and raising questions about how the hostages regained their freedom. Shortly after the interview, DSS operatives arrested the youth leader for questioning.

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While the DSS has yet to issue a detailed statement on the arrest, reports indicate that investigators are examining the claims made during the broadcast, particularly the allegations that billions of naira were paid to Boko Haram. 

Under Nigerian law, paying ransom or providing financial support to terrorist organisations is a criminal offence, meaning such allegations, if presented as fact, could directly implicate individuals and public institutions in illegal activities. 

The investigation is therefore expected to determine the basis of the claims and whether any laws were violated. 

The Borno State Government has since dismissed the allegations, insisting that no ransom was paid to secure the victims' release.

In a statement, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, described the claims as false, stressing that the rescue of the 360 women and children was achieved through an intelligence-led operation carried out by troops of Operation Hadin Kai in collaboration with the DSS and other security agencies.

According to Tar, the operation was the result of sustained intelligence gathering, coordinated military manoeuvres and collaboration between Operation Hadin Kai, the DSS and other security agencies. 

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He maintained that no ransom was paid at any stage of the rescue, insisting the hostages were freed through intelligence-led operations rather than negotiations with Boko Haram. 

He warned against spreading unverified information about security operations, saying such claims could undermine ongoing counter-insurgency efforts and mislead the public.

The controversy centres on the rescue of 360 women and children who had been held captive by Boko Haram following attacks on Ngoshe, a border community near the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza LGA.

Authorities have maintained that the victims were freed during coordinated operations targeting terrorist hideouts in the mountainous region along Nigeria's border with Cameroon.

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Under Nigeria's Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, providing financial support or making payments to terrorist groups is a criminal offence. 

The Federal Government has repeatedly maintained that it does not pay ransom to terrorist organisations, insisting that military and intelligence operations remain the primary strategy for securing the release of hostages.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Senator Ali Ndume nor the DSS had issued a detailed public response specifically addressing the allegations made during the broadcast or the circumstances surrounding the youth leader's arrest. 

The investigation is expected to establish the basis of the claims and determine whether any laws were breached.