Nigeria Under Siege: Thousands Abducted, Billions Paid in Ransom

Abuja, Nigeria — June 2026
New data from SBM Intelligence paints a troubling picture of Nigeria’s worsening kidnapping crisis, revealing that abduction-for-ransom has evolved into one of the country’s most entrenched criminal enterprises, cutting across administrations and leaving devastating social and economic consequences in its wake.
The Nigerian geopolitical research and consulting firm, widely respected for its security analyses, has consistently tracked kidnapping incidents through media reports, field networks, and open-source intelligence. Its annual Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry reports provide some of the most detailed insights into the scale, profitability, and human cost of ransom-driven abductions.
Thousands Abducted Under Tinubu Administration
According to SBM Intelligence, between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 Nigerians were abducted in 997 kidnapping incidents across the country.
The report further documented:
At least 762 people killed during kidnapping-related incidents.
Approximately ₦48 billion demanded by kidnappers as ransom.
Verified ransom payments totaling ₦2.57 billion.
The North-West accounting for 42.6 percent of all incidents and more than 62 percent of victims.
States such as Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina remained among the worst affected, with Zamfara alone recording more than 1,200 victims during the reporting period.
The preceding year was even more alarming.
Between July 2023 and June 2024, SBM documented 7,568 abducted persons in 1,130 separate incidents, making it one of the most severe kidnapping periods ever recorded in modern Nigeria.
Security analysts note that the figures represent only verified cases, suggesting the actual number could be significantly higher due to underreporting in remote and conflict-affected areas.
From Security Threat to Criminal Industry
What began as isolated incidents of abduction has transformed into a sophisticated and profitable criminal economy.
Historical SBM records indicate that between June 2011 and March 2020, kidnappers collected approximately $18.34 million in ransom payments, with more than $11 million generated between 2016 and 2020 alone.
The findings suggest that kidnapping became increasingly institutionalized during the latter years of the Buhari administration, fueled by growing banditry networks, weak law enforcement capacity, widespread poverty, and the proliferation of illicit weapons.
Criminal groups gradually shifted from opportunistic attacks to organized operations targeting schools, villages, highways, mining sites, and farming communities.
Buhari and Tinubu: Different Administrations, Similar Crisis
The data indicates that kidnapping was already a major national security challenge during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
The North-West emerged as the epicenter of banditry and mass abductions, while Boko Haram and ISWAP continued insurgent activities in the North-East.
However, analysts observe that the crisis has persisted—and in some respects intensified—under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
One of the most disturbing trends is the rise in mass abductions involving schoolchildren and entire communities.
SBM and other security observers report that large-scale school kidnappings have become more frequent and more organized, with hundreds of children taken in coordinated attacks over the past three years.
The commercialization of kidnapping has also become more pronounced, with criminal groups treating hostages as economic assets and communities as recurring targets.
Northwest Remains Ground Zero
Despite government military operations, the North-West continues to bear the brunt of Nigeria’s kidnapping epidemic.
Vast forests, weak state presence, porous borders, and limited economic opportunities have created favorable conditions for criminal groups to operate with relative impunity.
Entire communities have been displaced, agricultural activities disrupted, and local economies weakened by persistent attacks.
Many families face impossible choices between raising ransom payments and risking the lives of abducted relatives.
The Human Cost Beyond the Statistics
Behind every data point is a human tragedy.
Thousands of children have lost access to education due to repeated attacks on schools.
Families have sold farmland, homes, and businesses to secure the release of loved ones.
Many victims return with severe physical and psychological trauma, while others never return at all.
Communities across northern Nigeria continue to live under constant fear of attacks, creating an atmosphere of insecurity that undermines social and economic development.
Why the Crisis Persists
Security experts argue that kidnapping thrives because of a combination of structural challenges, including:
Chronic poverty and unemployment.
Weak governance and law enforcement.
Proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Poor intelligence gathering.
Vast ungoverned territories.
Slow judicial processes.
Limited deterrence for perpetrators.
While security operations have produced tactical victories, experts warn that military responses alone cannot dismantle an economy that has become deeply embedded in local conflict dynamics.
Editorial Analysis
SBM Intelligence’s findings suggest that kidnapping has evolved beyond a conventional security challenge into a parallel criminal economy that continues to generate enormous profits for armed groups.
The evidence indicates that the problem expanded significantly during the latter Buhari years and has remained deeply entrenched under the Tinubu administration.
Despite billions spent on security operations and repeated government assurances, thousands of Nigerians continue to face the threat of abduction each year.
The persistence of the crisis raises difficult questions about governance, accountability, and the effectiveness of current security strategies.
Until the underlying drivers of insecurity are addressed—including poverty, weak institutions, corruption, and the absence of state authority in vulnerable regions—Nigeria’s kidnapping industry is likely to remain one of the country’s most devastating national emergencies.
For affected families, the statistics are more than numbers. They represent shattered lives, interrupted futures, and a continuing struggle for safety in a nation still searching for lasting security.