Nigerian Islamists got $3.15 million to free French hostages: document

Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram was paid an equivalent of around $3.15 million by French and Cameroonian negotiators before freeing seven French hostages this month, a confidential Nigerian government report obtained by Reuters said.

The memo does not say who paid the ransom for the family of seven, who were all released on April 19, although it says Cameroon freed some Boko Haram detainees as part of the deal.

France and Cameroon reiterated denials that any ransom was paid. Nigerian authorities declined to comment.

Armed men on motorcycles snatched Tanguy Moulin-Fournier, his wife, brother and the couple's four young children, the youngest of whom was four years old, on February 19 while they were on holiday near the Waza national park in north Cameroon, some 10 km (six miles) from the Nigerian border. They were believed to have been held in northeast Nigeria.

Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram claimed the capture of the family of Moulin-Fournier, who worked in Cameroon for French utility firm GDF Suez.

French President Francois Hollande at the time denied any money was paid when the family was released on April 19.

The Nigerian report suggests that 1.6 billion CFA francs ($3.15 million) was paid, but that right up until the last minute Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau had insisted on double that, before agreeing to reduce it if some Boko Haram members in Cameroonian jails were freed.

Reacting to the report, a French foreign ministry official said that France has passed a clear message that it does not pay ransoms. Cameroon government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary said "Cameroon did not pay any ransom".

A spokesman for Nigeria's government declined to comment.

The report suggests Nigerian security forces decided not to try to rescue the hostages so as not to endanger their lives. A botched rescue attempt of a British and an Italian hostage believed to have been held by Islamist sect Ansaru in March last year resulted in both hostages being killed.

French news network i-tele reported earlier on Friday that a ransom had of $7 million had been paid, suggesting either Cameroon President Paul Biya or GDF-Suez had paid it.

Eight French hostages are being held in the Sahel region, although the fate of one of them is unclear after al-Qaeda's north African arm last month said it had beheaded Philippe Verdon.

Hollande has said Paris has ended a policy of paying ransoms for hostages, but suspicion that the country still does despite official denials has been a source of tension with the United States.

France brushed off an allegation by a former U.S. diplomat that it paid a $17 million ransom in vain for the release of four hostages abducted in 2010 from Niger.

Hollande told the family of the Sahel hostages in January that the new policy also meant that he had told companies and insurance firms to not pay ransoms.

Posted: at 26-04-2013 05:59 PM (10 years ago) | Hero

book haram na thief ooooooh..

Posted: at 26-04-2013 08:38 PM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Just Look at our rulers .may being in Nigeria is just a curse.Look at people caring for their citizen.How many Nigerians  have been killed  carelessly in overseas,even our will never ask why.Let even a German drunker be kidnapped in any Part of the world,that must Never Rest until clear explanation to German Authority.1000 Nigerians may be killed or held in Gambia with less than 3million people and not even Jonathan will as why.

Posted: at 26-04-2013 09:00 PM (10 years ago) | Upcoming

POSTER YOU ARE A PURE LIAR,WHEN THEY WERE RELEASED FRENCH PRESS AND EVEN ALL TV CHANNELS IN EUROPE SAID THEY DID NOT PAY A DIME.HOW COME YOU ARE POSTING THIS RUBBISH? LISTEN TO NEWS AND STOP SAYING WHAT YOU DONT KNOW.WHERE IS UR SOURCE OF THIS NEWS ANYWAYS?
IAM IN HOLLAND AND I LISTEN TO EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN NIGERIA EVEN BEFORE YOU HEAR IT BECAUSE MOST OF NIGERIAN CHANNELS DONT EVEN GIVE UPDATES OF WHAT IS HAPPENING THERE.FOREIGN NEWS LIKES SAYING EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN AFRICA CUS THEY SEE US AS TROUBLED NATIONS.MAY GOD HELP US

Posted: at 26-04-2013 10:30 PM (10 years ago) | Upcoming

Maybe.

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Posted: at 26-04-2013 11:13 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

I knew it...dey gat paid...mschewww! money 4 new bombs

Posted: at 26-04-2013 11:39 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

 

Posted: at 27-04-2013 07:25 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

This boko haram strong pass african governments o

Posted: at 27-04-2013 09:20 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Phino, there might b an iota of truth in this post cos am so sure that the BH boy are not running a philanthropist NGO by kidnapping a whole family, feed and shelter them for month and let them go just like that. think again and u will b rest assured that they might even pay more than what the poster wrote

Posted: at 27-04-2013 09:38 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie

French,Cameron and Nigeria all denied paying a any ransom
So poster hw did u get dis rubbish u post here?

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Posted: at 27-04-2013 10:54 AM (10 years ago) | Hero