By Seyi Odewale, with agency report
Over N1.048bn have been paid as ransom to kidnappers between July 2023 and June 2024 in Nigeria, with states like Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina leading in its payment, a report by SBM Intelligence has said.
According to SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused market/security intel gathering and strategic consulting firm, the ransom demanded was N10.99bn.
The worsening security situation in Nigeria was further exposed in the report by SBM Intelligence, a market intelligence and security analysis firm, revealing that over 7,000 Nigerians were abducted across the country in the last year, with over N1bn paid as ransom.
The report highlighted the deepening security crisis, particularly in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states, which have seen the highest numbers of kidnapping incidents and victims.
According to the report, 7,568 people were kidnapped in 1,130 incidents between July 2023 and June 2024.
“Nigeria’s security crisis has become increasingly complex, with armed groups and non-state actors exploiting the state’s weakened influence,” SBM Intelligence noted in its analysis.
It identified various factors fuelling the crisis, including the resurgence of Boko Haram in the North-east, armed gangs in the North-central and North-west, secessionist violence in the South-east, and gang-related issues in the South-west.
It also revealed the rising lethality of kidnapping incidents, with 1,056 people killed during the 1,130 reported incidents. On average, one person is killed during each attempted abduction.
The report further stated that women were more frequently targeted than men in the recorded abductions.
Economic challenges in Nigeria are driving more people into kidnapping as a means of survival, according to the report. “As the country’s economic challenges deepen and more individuals fall below the poverty line, more people have taken to kidnapping for ransom for survival,” the report stated.
It urged the government to take urgent action to disrupt the financial flows sustaining these criminal activities.
*More than 7,000 abducted nationwide within same period
Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina were identified as the most affected states, with Zamfara recording 132 kidnapping incidents involving 1,639 victims, Kaduna reporting 113 incidents with 1,113 victims, and Katsina with 119 incidents and 887 victims. The three states also recorded the highest number of civilian deaths due to kidnappings.
The report highlighted the prevalence of mass abductions, with over 3,000 people kidnapped in 135 incidents from January to June 2024. The northern regions of the country were most affected by mass abductions, particularly in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina.
In response to the growing kidnapping crisis, President Bola Tinubu has stated that the federal government will not pay ransom to kidnappers.
In March, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris reiterated the president’s stance, emphasizing that no ransom would be paid to criminal elements. However, despite the government’s position, many Nigerians continue to pay ransom to secure the release of kidnapped relatives.
