An online news agency, Sahara Reporters, has refuted the claims by the Federal Government that no ransom was paid for the release of the Dapchi girls.

The online agency said,

“Sahara Reporters can report that a handsome ransom was paid to Boko Haram to secure the release of Dapchi girls freed by the insurgents early Wednesday morning.”

Earlier today the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed as well as Minister of Defense, Mansur Dan-Ali had revealed that the federal government did not pay for the release of the schoolgirls.

The ministers said instead of paying a ransom, the federal government relied on “backchannel negotiations” to ensure that the girls were released by Boko Haram.

However, Sahara said that “the federal government not only made ransom payment to the insurgents, it also exchanged some Boko Haram prisoners in return for the Dapchi girls.

It also alleged that the Buhari led government had a history of “under the table millions of dollars payments to Boko Haram to secure freedom of abductees.