A new report by SBM Intelligence has revealed that Nigerians paid a total of ₦1.04 billion in ransom to kidnappers between July 2023 and June 2024. The report highlighted that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had the highest ransom demands, followed by Lagos and Kaduna.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“When comparing geopolitical zones, the Southeast recorded the highest amount paid in ransoms and the highest collection rate overall,” SBM Intelligence noted.
The report also disclosed that within the period under review, at least 7,568 people were abducted across Nigeria in 1,130 kidnapping incidents. During these incidents, kidnappers demanded a total of ₦10,995,090,000 (approximately $6.87 million) as ransom, but only received ₦1,048,110,000, which is about 9.5% of the total amount demanded. This suggests that kidnappers are becoming less targeted in their choice of victims.
Among the states, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina recorded the highest numbers of kidnapping incidents and victims. Zamfara had 132 incidents with 1,639 victims, Kaduna recorded 113 incidents involving 1,113 victims, and Katsina reported 119 incidents with 887 victims. These states also had the highest number of civilian deaths linked to kidnapping.
The report pointed out a troubling trend: in the year under review, kidnappings have become more lethal, resulting in the deaths of 1,056 people in the 1,130 reported kidnapping incidents. On average, at least one person is killed in each attempted kidnapping.
The report further highlighted that kidnappers have continued to demand in-kind payments from victims’ families. These demands range from food, drinks, and cigarettes in the southern parts of the country to motorcycles in the northern regions.
More than four ransom bearers have been killed, and three others abducted while attempting to deliver ransoms this year. If this trend continues, it could become increasingly difficult to find individuals willing to deliver ransoms on behalf of victims.
