Kidnappers in Nigeria collected nearly $5.8 million in confirmed ransom payments from civilian abductions between July 2025 and June 2026, according to a new report by security consultancy SBM Intelligence.
The report said 7,825 people were kidnapped during the 12-month period, representing a 66 per cent increase compared with the previous year. At least 1,142 people were also killed during the same period.
SBM Intelligence estimated that confirmed ransom payments rose sharply to ₦7.78 billion, equivalent to about $5.79 million. The organisation noted that the actual figure could be significantly higher, as many ransom payments are not publicly disclosed.
The figures were compiled from media reports, interviews and other publicly available information, making them a conservative estimate of the scale of Nigeria’s growing kidnap-for-ransom crisis.
According to the report, a faction of the Islamist group Boko Haram accounted for about 90 per cent of the recorded ransom payments linked to kidnappings in the North-East. However, the North-West recorded a higher number of kidnapping incidents and victims.
SBM estimated that the Boko Haram faction received approximately ₦7 billion in ransom payments, largely connected to two major kidnapping incidents in which more than 300 people were abducted in each case.
The report comes amid renewed concerns over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, following the reported abduction of hundreds of civilians in Niger State. President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the victims.
Kidnapping for ransom has become a major component of Nigeria’s broader security crisis, with armed groups targeting schools, rural communities and major highways.
Victims are often held for extended periods, sometimes for weeks or months, while their families and communities struggle to raise the money demanded for their release.
The growing scale of the crisis is also affecting education, particularly in areas where repeated attacks on schools have created fear among students, parents and teachers. Beyond the immediate human cost, the wave of abductions has further weakened public confidence in the government’s ability to provide security.
Security analysts have warned that the financial rewards associated with kidnapping are helping to sustain criminal networks and armed groups.
SBM Intelligence cautioned that Nigeria could face even greater security challenges if authorities fail to adopt a coordinated strategy that addresses both the profitability of kidnapping and the underlying factors driving the crime.
The country’s security situation is expected to remain a major political issue ahead of future elections. President Tinubu came into office with a pledge to improve security, but the recent increase in large-scale kidnappings has intensified scrutiny of the government’s efforts.
The report underscores the urgent need for a more effective and coordinated response to a crisis that continues to claim lives, disrupt education and livelihoods, and threaten stability across several parts of the country.
