Nigeria: Borno Govt Denies Paying Ransom to Free 360 Victims

The Borno State Government has denied paying ransom for the release of 360 people rescued from the Mandara Mountains, a terrorist stronghold. Information Commissioner Usman Tar stated that the victims were freed through a coordinated military operation with intelligence support. The operation, conducted by OPHK special forces, followed weeks of surveillance. Tar also described the Boko Haram insurgency as a 'big business' sustained by kidnapping.