Kidnappers Collected N7.8bn Ransom in One Year as 7,825 Nigerians Were Abducted -Report
Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – No fewer than 7,825 Nigerians were abducted in 1,713 kidnapping and kidnap-related incidents between July 2025 and June 2026, while at least 1,142 people were killed, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.
The report, titled “The Capture of the Kidnap Economy,” revealed that victims’ families paid an estimated N7.8 billion in ransom during the period, underscoring the growing profitability of kidnapping despite intensified security operations.
Security experts have described the findings as alarming, warning that billions of naira paid to kidnappers are strengthening criminal networks by enabling them to acquire more sophisticated weapons and finance further attacks.
According to the report, although the total ransom demanded by kidnappers dropped from N48 billion to N22.9 billion, the actual amount paid rose sharply from N2.56 billion to N7.78 billion, increasing the ransom collection rate from 5.35 per cent to 34 per cent.
SBM Intelligence attributed about 90 per cent of the ransom collected to the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram, which reportedly received N7 billion from just eight kidnapping incidents.
The report identified two mass abductions as accounting for most of the ransom payments. These included the reported N5 billion paid for the release of 416 captives abducted from Ngoshe, Borno State, and N2 billion allegedly paid for 315 pupils and staff of St. Mary’s School, Papiri, Niger State.
It further revealed that mass abductions have become the preferred strategy of kidnapping gangs, with Zamfara State recording 92 mass kidnapping incidents, followed by Sokoto State with 76 during the review period.
SBM Intelligence warned that the resurgence of school kidnappings, particularly the Papiri incident, could have lasting consequences for education, food production and public confidence in affected communities.
“Without a coordinated strategy that targets both the profitability of the crime and its roots, Nigeria risks entrenching kidnapping not merely as a criminal industry but as a funding mechanism for the very groups that most threaten its stability,” the report stated.
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