Nigeria Denies Ransom Paid for Freed Schoolchildren

The Nigerian government has denied paying ransom money to secure the release of dozens of kidnapped schoolchildren. The children were abducted from a Catholic school in Kaduna state in November. They were freed this week. Authorities made the denial on Tuesday in response to a report from the AFP news agency. The report had suggested a ransom was paid to the militant group Boko Haram. The government did not provide details on how the students were released. Kidnappings for ransom are common in northern Nigeria. Militant groups and criminal gangs often target schools and villages.