No fewer than 4,722 people were kidnapped across Nigeria between July 2024 and June 2025, with ₦2.57 billion paid in ransoms against demands totalling ₦48 billion, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.
The study, titled: ‘Locust Business: The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry A 2025 Update’, documents a crisis that has become entrenched as both a national security threat and an illicit economic sector.
During the year under review, 997 incidents of kidnapping were recorded nationwide, leading to 762 deaths. Civilians made up the majority of the fatalities, with 563 killed; while 180 kidnappers and 19 security agents also lost their lives.
The report underlines the human toll of the crisis, noting that ransom payments are no guarantee of survival: at least 32 victims were killed in captivity despite payments being made by their families. In some cases, ransom bearers themselves were abducted or killed after delivering money.
The North-West region remains the centre of the problem. Zamfara State had the highest number of kidnap victims, 1,203 in total, while Katsina reported the largest number of incidents, 131.
Kaduna recorded 629 victims. Together, these three states alone accounted for nearly half of all abductions nationwide. Sokoto and Niger also ranked among the top five. By contrast, southern states such as Lagos and Osun reported very low figures, nine and one victim respectively; though targeted abductions still occurred in parts of Delta, Rivers and Anambra states.
The report suggests that while ransom payments may sometimes reduce the risk of clergy being killed, the practice has expanded to include a wider circle of religious stakeholders.
Mass abductions remain a defining feature of the crisis. SBM Intelligence recorded 231 incidents involving more than five victims each, representing 23% of all cases. Zamfara alone accounted for 50 such incidents, during which 1,064 people were abducted.
The report also highlights how Nigeria’s economic challenges shape the kidnapping industry. While ransom demands and payments in Naira have risen sharply, their dollar equivalent has stagnated or fallen because of currency devaluation. In 2022, ransom payments of ₦653 million were valued at $1.13 million.
By 2025, payments reached ₦2.57 billion but were worth only $1.66 million at prevailing exchange rates. Kidnappers demand larger sums in local currency to compensate for its declining value, while communities face ever greater financial strain.
SBM Intelligence also said that kidnapping for ransom has grown into a self-sustaining economic model, no longer merely a symptom of weak security but a lucrative and pervasive industry.
