KIDNAPPING for ransom has become a deeply entrenched and highly organised criminal enterprise in Nigeria, with abductors collecting at least ₦2.57 billion from victims and their families within a 12-month period, a new report by SBM Intelligence has revealed.
The findings are contained in SBM Intelligence’s report titled “The Year Ahead at an Inflection Point,” released on December 19, 2025 sighted by News Point Nigeria, which examined key political, economic and security trends shaping Africa in 2025, with a particular focus on Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
According to the report, kidnappers demanded an estimated ₦48 billion in ransom between July 2024 and June 2025, though only a fraction of that amount was eventually paid following negotiations, rescue efforts or the inability of families and communities to raise the demanded sums.
SBM Intelligence noted that the figures underscore how abductions in Nigeria have evolved beyond sporadic criminal acts into a structured, profit-driven industry, sustained by weak governance, limited state presence in rural areas, porous security architecture and the rapid spread of armed bandit networks.
During the period under review, the report documented 997 kidnapping incidents, involving at least 4,722 abducted persons, while no fewer than 762 people were killed in attacks linked to banditry and related violence across the country.
Although ransom demands surged sharply in naira terms, SBM Intelligence observed that the actual financial gain to kidnappers remained relatively modest when converted to foreign currency, largely due to the depreciation of the naira.
The ₦2.57 billion paid in ransom during the year translates to approximately $1.66 million, only slightly higher than the $1.13 million equivalent of ₦653.7 million collected in 2022, highlighting the impact of currency devaluation on the criminal economy.
The Northwest region remained the epicentre of Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom crisis, accounting for 425 incidents, or 42.6 per cent of all cases nationwide. The region also recorded 2,938 victims, representing 62.2 per cent of the total number of abducted persons.
Within the region, Zamfara State emerged as the worst-hit, with 1,203 victims, followed closely by Kaduna and Katsina States. SBM Intelligence attributed the concentration of kidnappings to vast, poorly governed rural spaces, entrenched bandit camps and the limited reach of security forces.
In contrast, the Southwest recorded the lowest level of kidnapping activity, accounting for just 5.3 per cent of incidents and 3 per cent of victims nationwide, reflecting comparatively stronger security presence and governance structures.
The report also highlighted the growing prevalence of mass kidnappings, defined as incidents involving more than five victims. These accounted for about 23 per cent of all recorded cases and were overwhelmingly concentrated in northern states.
According to SBM Intelligence, entire villages were frequently targeted during such operations, with victims sometimes forced to work on bandit-controlled farms or mining sites. These large-scale abductions, the report said, allow criminal groups to increase leverage during ransom negotiations while instilling widespread fear in affected communities.
Beyond kidnapping, the report painted a grim picture of escalating violence across several regions in 2025. In the Northcentral, attacks linked to armed herders persisted through March, with Benue State particularly affected. A single attack in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area on March 7 left 15 people dead.
Zamfara State also witnessed repeated deadly incidents, including an attack in Tsafe Local Government Area on March 13 that claimed 40 lives, alongside mass abductions in Maru Local Government Area, where 38 people were kidnapped on the same day.
According to the report, April and May emerged as some of the deadliest months of the year, with coordinated attacks in Plateau and Benue States killing more than 100 people combined. During the same period, mass abductions involving up to 100 victims were recorded in Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto States.
SBM Intelligence warned that unless decisive action is taken to address governance gaps, strengthen rural security and dismantle criminal networks, kidnapping will continue to thrive as a lucrative underground economy, further undermining public safety and national stability.