The Borno State Government has denied claims that money was paid to secure the release of 360 people abducted from the Mandara Mountains area, insisting instead that the victims were freed through a military operation.

Officials of the state maintained that the rescue was achieved through coordinated intelligence-led efforts by the military, with support from the Department of State Services (DSS), rather than any ransom payment.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, challenged the allegations, asking for proof of any payment.

“Who paid the ransom? And the ransom was paid to whom? Where is the evidence?” he said.

Tar firmly stated that no money was exchanged in securing the release of the victims.

“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 counterfacts, then you can pursue that,” he added.

According to military sources, the operation was carried out under Operation Hadin Kai and involved special forces acting on weeks of intelligence gathering and planning.

The freed abductees, made up of men, women, and children, were reportedly held under harsh conditions after being taken from several communities around the Ngoshe axis.

Authorities said the group responsible for the abductions is believed to be Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), a faction linked to Boko Haram.

The Mandara Mountains region has long been known as a stronghold used by armed groups operating in the North-East.

Tar further described Boko Haram as having evolved from an ideological movement into what he called a criminal enterprise.

“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.”

He added that the government now considers the attackers purely as criminals and reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining military operations against them.