Nigeria recorded a sharp increase in kidnapping incidents over the past year, with 7,825 people abducted and at least 1,142 people killed, according to a new report by security and political-risk consultancy SBM Intelligence.

The report, covering the period from July 2025 to June 2026, found that the number of kidnapping victims rose by 66 per cent compared with the previous year.

It also documented at least ₦7.78 billion ($5.79 million) in confirmed ransom payments during the 12-month period. The amount was more than three times the ₦2.56 billion recorded in the previous year.

SBM Intelligence said its figures were compiled from media reports, interviews and publicly available information. The consultancy cautioned that the actual scale of kidnapping and ransom payments is likely higher because many incidents and ransom negotiations are never publicly disclosed.

The report shows that kidnapping remains heavily concentrated in northern Nigeria, with 93.7 per cent of recorded victims coming from the North.

Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina and Kwara recorded the highest numbers of victims, according to SBM’s analysis.

While the North-West recorded more kidnapping incidents and victims, the report identified a faction of Boko Haram, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) as the dominant recipient of recorded ransom payments in the North-East.

The group reportedly accounted for about 90 per cent of the total ransom payments documented nationwide, collecting roughly ₦7 billion from eight major kidnapping incidents.

SBM said mass kidnapping accounted for approximately 79.5 per cent of all victims recorded during the reporting period, indicating a shift towards large-scale abductions rather than isolated kidnappings.

Two major cases accounted for a significant portion of the ransom payments: approximately ₦5 billion was reportedly paid for 416 captives in Ngoshe, Borno State, while about ₦2 billion was paid for 315 pupils and staff abducted in Papiri, Niger State, according to the report.

The resurgence of mass abductions has raised concerns about the impact of insecurity on schools, rural communities, transportation and economic activity.

Beyond the number of victims, the report highlights the growing financial dimension of kidnapping in Nigeria.

SBM said confirmed ransom payments increased by more than threefold even though the total amount demanded reportedly fell, suggesting that kidnappers were able to secure a larger proportion of the ransoms demanded.

The consultancy warned that kidnapping-for-ransom is increasingly becoming a source of financing for armed groups, potentially enabling them to acquire weapons, recruit members and organise further attacks.

The report also found that paying a ransom does not always guarantee the safe release of victims, with at least six people reportedly killed even after ransom payments had been made.

The findings come amid continued pressure on the Nigerian government to address insecurity, particularly in the North-West, North-Central and North-East.

Reuters reported that the latest SBM findings were released as President Bola Tinubu directed security forces to intensify efforts to rescue hundreds of civilians abducted in a recent attack in Niger State.

The scale of the latest figures underscores the continuing challenge posed by kidnapping and the need for security agencies to disrupt not only the networks carrying out abductions but also the financial systems that make ransom-driven crime profitable.

SBM Intelligence stressed that its figures should be regarded as conservative estimates, given the large number of kidnapping cases and ransom negotiations that remain outside the public record.