Insecurity: Actual Amount Kidnappers Have Collected From Nigerians as Ransom in 1-Year is Out
- Kidnappers in Nigeria have collected whooping ₦2.57 billion in ransom from July 2024 to June 2025
- Northwest Nigeria remains the epicentre of kidnappings, accounting for over 42% of incidents
- Mass abductions and violence continue to instil fear across communities, with thousands affected
Kidnappers operating across Nigeria collected at least ₦2.57 billion in ransom payments from victims between July 2024 and June 2025.
This was revealed by a new report by SBM Intelligence.
Source: UGC
The report offered a stark picture of the scale and profitability of kidnapping amid the country’s worsening insecurity.
The figure was disclosed in SBM Intelligence’s report, The Year Ahead at an Inflexion Point, released on Friday, December 19, which examined major security, political and economic trends shaping Africa in 2025.
Report exposes scale of ransom payments
According to the report, criminal groups demanded an estimated ₦48 billion in ransom during the 12-month period, although only a fraction of that amount was eventually paid by victims and their families.
SBM Intelligence said the data shows that kidnapping in Nigeria has evolved into a structured, profit-driven enterprise, Vanguard reported.
“These figures underscore how abductions have become a business model, thriving amid weak governance, vast unpoliced rural spaces and deteriorating security conditions,” the report stated.
Thousands abducted as violence persists
The report found that at least 4,722 people were abducted in 997 kidnapping incidents across the country within the period under review.
In addition, no fewer than 762 people were killed in attacks linked to banditry and related criminal violence.
Although ransom demands surged sharply in naira terms, SBM Intelligence noted that the actual value realised by kidnappers remained relatively modest in dollar terms due to the depreciation of the naira.
“The ₦2.57 billion paid in ransom translates to about $1.66 million, only slightly higher than the estimated $1.13 million equivalent of ₦653.7 million collected in 2022,” the report said.
Northwest remains epicentre of kidnappings
The Northwest remained top in the number of kidnap for ransom incidents in Nigeria, contributing 425 cases, which is 42.6 per cent.
The region also documented victims of 2,938 people, accounting for 62.2 percent of all victims of abduction.
The highest number of casualties is recorded in the state of Zamfara with 1,203 victims, while Kaduna and Katsina states came next, according to the Daily Trust.
According to SBM Intelligence, kidnappings mainly occur because of huge and ill-administered rural areas where organized groups of kidnappers with little resistance operate.
Consequently, the region with the least involvement in kidnap incidents was the Southwest, contributing only 5.3% to the total kidnap activities and 3% to the victims.
Mass abductions deepen fear in communities
Mass kidnappings, defined as incidents involving more than five victims, accounted for about 23 per cent of all cases and were largely concentrated in northern states.
The report noted that entire villages were often targeted, with some victims forced to work on bandit-controlled farms and mining sites.
Source: Twitter
“Large-scale abductions allow criminal groups to maximise leverage during ransom negotiations while spreading fear across communities,” SBM Intelligence said.
Deadly attacks persist across regions
Beyond kidnapping, the report highlighted persistent violence across several parts of the country in 2025. In the North-Central, attacks linked to armed herders continued through March, with Benue State particularly affected.
A single attack in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area on March 7 reportedly left 15 people dead, while Zamfara State recorded repeated deadly incidents, including an attack in Tsafe Local Government Area on March 13 that killed 40 people.
April and May were among the deadliest months of the year, with attacks in Plateau and Benue States killing more than 100 people combined. During the same period, mass abductions involving up to 100 victims were recorded in Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto States.
Insecurity in Nigeria: Gunmen kill 12 in fresh Plateau attack
Previously, Legit.ng reported that amid Nigeria’s 'growing' insecurity, 12 people were reportedly killed on Tuesday night, December 16, when suspected militia attacked Barkin Ladi local government area (LGA) of Plateau State.
The incident happened at a mining site in Ratoso Fan community of the council area.
Source: Legit.ng
