Kidnapping victims rise 66% as Nigerians pay N7.8bn ransom — Report

At least 1,142 people were killed in 1,713 kidnapping and related incidents across Nigeria between July 2025 and June 2026, while victims and their families paid about N7.8 billion in ransom, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.

The report, titled The Capture of the Kidnap Economy, said 7,825 people were abducted during the 12-month period, representing a 66 per cent increase in the number of victims compared with the previous reporting cycle.

It also recorded 895 civilian deaths among the incidents analysed, contributing to the overall figure of 1,142 people killed.

Despite a decline in the amount of ransom demanded, the report found that actual payments increased sharply during the period under review.

According to SBM Intelligence, ransom demands fell from N48 billion in the previous cycle to N22.9 billion, while actual payments more than tripled from N2.56 billion to N7.78 billion.

The report attributed about 90 per cent of the ransom paid to the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram, which reportedly collected N7 billion from just eight incidents.

Two major mass abductions accounted for most of the payment. They included the abduction of 416 people in Ngoshe, Borno State, for which N5 billion was reportedly paid, and the kidnapping of 315 pupils and staff of St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State, which attracted a N2 billion ransom.

“Two abductions drove the year’s total: the N5 billion ransom for 416 captives taken from Ngoshe, Borno, and the N2 billion paid for 315 pupils and staff abducted from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger,” the report stated.

The Northwest emerged as the worst-hit region, recording the highest number of kidnapping incidents, victims and deaths.

Zamfara alone accounted for 236 incidents involving 1,921 victims, while the North as a whole accounted for 93.7 per cent of all reported abductions. The South accounted for the remaining 6.3 per cent.

Mass abduction was identified as the most common method used by kidnappers. Zamfara recorded 92 such incidents, followed by Sokoto with 76.

The report also raised concerns over the resurgence of school kidnappings, warning that the impact extends beyond the immediate victims to education, farming activities and public confidence.

It noted that paying ransom did not always guarantee the safe release of victims, as at least six cases involved victims being killed despite ransom payments.

In some cases, kidnappers also targeted relatives or individuals involved in ransom negotiations, while 14 incidents involved demands for items such as motorcycles, mobile phones, food, fuel and other goods instead of cash.

SBM Intelligence observed that although bandits and criminal gangs accounted for most kidnapping incidents, a single Boko Haram faction dominated the ransom economy because of its ability to secure large payments from a small number of high-value abductions.

The report said bandits and criminal gangs collectively demanded about N13.5 billion but received only N719 million, representing a collection rate of 5.3 per cent.

By comparison, the JAS faction reportedly demanded N9.2 billion and received N7 billion, representing a 76 per cent collection rate.

The research organisation called for measures to disrupt the financial networks sustaining kidnapping and insurgency, alongside efforts to address the economic conditions that provide recruits for criminal groups.

It warned that failure to tackle both the profitability and underlying causes of kidnapping could turn the crime into a more entrenched source of funding for groups threatening Nigeria’s security.