Nigerians Paid ₦2.56 Billion Ransom To Kidnappers In One Year – Report
A new report by SBM Intelligence on the economics of kidnapping has revealed that Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom economy rose to new levels, with citizens paying at least ₦2.56 billion between July 2024 and June 2025 to secure the release of abducted relatives and community members.
This marks a 144 per cent increase, year-on-year, compared to ₦1.05 billion paid in the same period of the previous year.
According to the report, abductors demanded ₦48 billion in ransoms during the period, but only 5.35 per cent was actually paid.
Details of the report showed that 4,722 Nigerians were kidnapped in 997 incidents, while 762 people lost their lives in abduction-related violence.
In 2024, families paid ₦1.05 billion and by 2025, ransom payments climbed to ₦2.56 billion.
The report further highlighted that the Northwest remains the country’s kidnapping hotspot, accounting for 62 per cent of victims in the review period.
Zamfara recorded 1,203 abductions, Kaduna 629, and Katsina 566. Katsina also suffered the highest civilian fatalities, underscoring the deadly dimension of ransom-seeking in the region.
It further noted that high-profile incidents continue to skew national totals, pointing out that in Borno, the abduction of Justice Haruna Mshelia resulted in a ransom payout of ₦766 million almost 30 per cent of the total collected nationwide.
(21ST CENTURY CHRONICLE)
