The presidency has denied the story that the Federal Government paid ransom to free the

President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said the government has “no such money under any allocation to pay out this outrageous sum of money as ransom.”

In a statement by Shehu on Saturday evening, November 12, 2016, the presidency denies the tale in its totality saying the administration is a responsible government that is run on the basis of the constitution and budgets duly appropriated by the National Assembly.

Speaking further on the war against the terrorists, Shehu said: “As at the time he came into power, Boko Haram occupied 80 per cent of Borno State, 40 per cent of Yobe, and a significant segment of Adamawa.”

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The 21 girls were among the over 200 kidnapped by the Boko Haram in April 2014. The others are still being held by the terrorists.