Nigerians paid ₦1.04bn as ransom to kidnappers in one year, a new report by SBM Intelligence has shown.
The security intel gathering firm between July 2023 and June 2024, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has the highest ransom demands, followed closely by Lagos and Kaduna.
“When comparing geopolitical zones, the Southeast has the highest ransom paid and collection rate overall,” SBM stated.
The firm said its research found that within the period under review, no fewer than 7,568 people were abducted in 1,130 incidents across the country.
“In that same period, kidnappers demanded at least the sum of ₦10,995,090,000 (approximately $6,871,931) as ransom but received ₦1,048,110,000, a mere 9.5% of the money demanded, indicating that kidnappers have become less targeted in
their victimology,” the report partly read.
