Nigeria’s Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, has sparked fresh debate after insisting that the Federal Government never paid ransom to secure the release of schoolchildren abducted in Kebbi and Niger states—despite conflicting signals coming from within President Bola Tinubu’s own communication team.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday, Adaramodu flatly rejected growing public suspicions that money exchanged hands, even as presidential aide Bayo Onanuga previously admitted that security operatives had contacted bandits to free kidnapped victims in Kwara State.
This contradiction has intensified concerns that the government is obscuring the true nature of its dealings with criminal gangs.
Adaramodu, who represents Ekiti South, attempted to downplay the controversy, arguing that “contact” with kidnappers could mean anything from persuasion to force. He also defended the secrecy around rescue missions, claiming security agencies are not obliged to share their operational methods with Nigerians—an explanation critics say only deepens mistrust.
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