The Nigerian government has denied the claim that it paid a huge ransom to the Boko Haram terror group to release over 200 students and staff kidnapped by the terror group last November. The claim that the Nigerian government paid millions of dollars to the terror group and released two militant commanders was described as "fiction" by the government, which claimed that the operation was a professional job by the military. The controversy comes at a time when the Nigerian police chief, Kayode Egbetokun, has resigned unexpectedly, and the US government has stepped up pressure on Nigeria regarding the handling of Christians. Despite the existence of legislation prohibiting the payment of ransoms, the "kidnap-for-profit" sector represents a huge crisis for Nigeria.