Crime & SecurityNewsNigeriaNigerians Paid ₦2.57 bn in Kidnap Ransoms in One Year — SBM Intelligence
Geopolitical research firm SBM Intelligence has revealed that Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis worsened between July 2024 and June 2025, as abductors demanded over ₦48 billion in ransom, but victims’ families paid only ₦2.57 billion. The findings, published in the report Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry, reveal that 4,722 individuals were abducted in 997 separate incidents, resulting in 762 deaths. “Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis has evolved into a lucrative criminal enterprise, with ₦2.56 billion ($1.66 million) confirmed in...









