Kidnappers Collect N2.57bn Ransom in One Year as Abduction ‘Industry’ Booms – Report

Nigeria’s kidnap for ransom crisis generated at least N2.57 billion for criminal groups between July 2024 and June 2025, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.

The report, titled The Year Ahead at an Inflexion Point, analysed economic and political developments that shaped Africa in 2025.

It found that kidnappers in Nigeria demanded an estimated N48 billion during the 12-month period but received N2.57 billion.

According to the report, abductions have evolved into a structured, profit-driven industry amid worsening insecurity across the country.

What the report is saying 

SBM Intelligence recorded at least 4,722 abductions across 997 incidents during the period under review, with no fewer than 762 people killed.

While ransom demands surged sharply in naira terms, the report noted that the actual value realised by kidnappers in dollar terms remained modest due to currency depreciation.

According to the analysis, the N2.57 billion paid in ransom translates to about 1.66 million dollars, only slightly higher than the estimated 1.13 million dollars equivalent of N653.7 million collected in 2022.

“Whereas N653.7 million in 2022 equalled approximately $1.13 million, the far larger sums now extracted yield only a modest increase in dollar terms, prompting criminals to inflate naira demands,” it stated.

Northwest dominates kidnapping landscape 

The Northwest remained the epicentre of Nigeria’s kidnap for ransom economy, accounting for 425 incidents or 42.6 percent of total cases and 2,938 victims, representing 62.2 percent of those abducted nationwide.

Zamfara State recorded the highest number of victims at 1,203, followed by Kaduna and Katsina States.

The report attributed the concentration of kidnappings to vast, poorly governed rural spaces and the presence of entrenched bandit syndicates capable of executing mass operations with limited resistance.

By contrast, the Southwest recorded the lowest levels of activity, accounting for just 5.3 percent of incidents and 3 percent of victims.

Mass abductions, defined as incidents involving more than five victims, made up about 23 percent of all kidnapping cases and were overwhelmingly concentrated in northern states.

SBM Intelligence said these incidents often involved entire villages, with victims sometimes coerced into working on bandit-controlled farms and mining sites.

The scale of these operations has allowed criminal groups to maximise leverage during ransom negotiations while spreading fear across communities.

Violence escalates alongside kidnapping economy 

Beyond ransom-related crimes, the report highlighted persistent and large-scale violence across several regions in 2025.

In the Northcentral, attacks linked to Fulani herdsmen continued through March, with Benue State particularly affected. A single attack in Katsina Ala Local Government Area on March 7 killed 15 people.

Zamfara State saw repeated deadly incidents, including an attack in Tsafe Local Government Area on March 13 that killed 40 people, alongside mass kidnappings in Maru Local Government Area where 38 people were abducted the same day.

April and May marked some of the deadliest months of the year, with attacks in Plateau and Benue States killing over 100 people combined, while mass abductions of up to 100 individuals were recorded in Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto States.

The brutality escalated further in June with the Yelewata massacre in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where about 200 people were killed in a single incident.

July and August also recorded mass casualty attacks, including killings of over 170 people in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara and 100 fatalities in Bukkuyum.

Kidnappings continued alongside these attacks, reinforcing what SBM Intelligence described as the consolidation of banditry and communal violence into parallel and devastating conflicts.

By October, large scale abductions persisted, with 73 people kidnapped in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara, while Plateau and Katsina States recorded fresh deadly attacks.

SBM Intelligence concluded that Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis is no longer a series of isolated criminal acts but an organised enterprise operating with increasing efficiency and impunity.

The report warned that beyond the humanitarian toll, the growing ransom economy poses deeper economic risks, distorts local livelihoods and further undermines state authority in already fragile regions.

What you should know 

Nigeria has seen a surge in violent attacks and mass abductions in recent times, prompting calls for drastic actions from the government.

One of the high‑profile incidents was the mass abduction at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, where armed gunmen kidnapped more than 300 students and 12 teachers in late November.

While the abducted students were said to have been released weeks after, the question of whether ransom was paid to secure the release is still a subject of debate as the government did not release any details.

Meanwhile, as part of measures to address the growing insecurity in the nation, President Bola Tinubu recently increased the Nigeria Police Force recruitment exercise from 30,000 to 50,000, citing the emerging security challenges across the country.