Nigerian Victims Pay N1 Billion in Ransoms as Kidnapping Incidents Soar

N1.048 billion has been paid in ransoms to kidnappers across Nigeria between July 2023 and June 2024, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence titled “Grim Reaping.”

The report sheds light on the escalating kidnapping crisis in Nigeria, where economic pressures and insecurity have driven more individuals toward criminal activities, specifically abductions for ransom.

The report reveals that kidnappers demanded a total of N10.99 billion from their victims over the past year, but only about 9.5% of this amount was paid.

Despite paying over a billion naira in ransoms, the reality remains bleak as kidnapping incidents continue to rise.

During the 12 months, at least 7,568 people were abducted in 1,130 incidents nationwide. The states of Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina have been the hardest hit, reporting the highest number of both incidents and victims.

Zamfara recorded 132 kidnapping incidents with 1,639 victims, Kaduna had 113 incidents involving 1,113 victims, and Katsina reported 119 incidents with 887 victims.

More troubling still is the rising lethality of these abductions. The report states that kidnapping incidents now result in fatalities with greater frequency, leading to the deaths of 1,056 civilians over the past year. The growing violence has compounded the national sense of insecurity.

The report also highlights that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, and Kaduna recorded the highest ransom demands.

Also, the Southeast leads the amounts paid and the number of successful ransom collections.

Interestingly, kidnappers have increasingly sought in-kind payments, which vary regionally. In the southern parts of the country, demands often include food, drinks, and cigarettes.

In the northern regions, motorcycles have become a preferred payment option. This shift reflects the deepening poverty and desperation driving criminality across the country.

Women are being targeted at a higher rate than men, the report notes, particularly in the northern states.

The number of kidnapping incidents in the North has spiked dramatically, far surpassing the combined totals of the previous two years. This sharp escalation indicates that the situation is spiraling out of control.

Economic hardship is also exacerbating the security situation. Many farmers in northern Nigeria are forced to pay ransoms just to access their farmlands. According to the report, over 1,356 farmers have been kidnapped across the country since 2020, while others have been required to pay “protection fees” to harvest their crops.

These payments, often amounting to N100,000 per farmer, have further worsened the country’s food security crisis. Food inflation has soared to 40%, the highest rate in nearly 30 years.

Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis has become an unrelenting threat, and without swift, coordinated efforts from the government to restore security and create economic opportunities, the situation is likely to continue deteriorating.

The report shows ransom payments are only a symptom of the wider economic malaise and insecurity gripping the nation.