A new report by SBM Intelligence has disclosed that Nigerians paid a staggering N1.04 billion as ransom to kidnappers between July 2023 and June 2024.
The report highlights the ongoing crisis of kidnapping for ransom in the country and provides insights into the trends and impacts of this criminal activity.
According to the report, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recorded the highest ransom demands, followed closely by Lagos and Kaduna. The Southeast region, in particular, had the highest ransom payment and collection rates overall.
SBM Intelligence’s research indicates that during the review period, there were 1,130 kidnapping incidents involving no fewer than 7,568 people. Kidnappers demanded a total of N10,995,090,000 (approximately $6,871,931) in ransoms but only received N1,048,110,000, representing just 9.5% of the total amount demanded. This suggests that kidnappers have become less selective in their choice of victims.
The report also points out that Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states had the highest numbers of kidnapping incidents and victims. Zamfara reported 132 incidents with 1,639 victims, Kaduna had 113 incidents with 1,113 victims, and Katsina recorded 119 incidents with 887 victims. These states also reported the highest number of civilian deaths, with 1,056 people killed in the kidnapping incidents during the review period.
The report notes a troubling trend: kidnapping has become more lethal, with an average of one person killed for each attempted kidnapping.
Additionally, kidnappers have continued to demand various in-kind payments from victims’ families, such as food, drinks, cigarettes in the South, and motorcycles in the North.
The report further reveals that more than four ransom bearers have been killed and three others abducted this year. If this trend persists, it could become increasingly difficult to find individuals willing to deliver ransoms on behalf of victims.
SBM Intelligence’s findings underscore the severe and growing challenge of kidnapping in Nigeria, reflecting both the financial burden on families and the escalating violence associated with these criminal acts.