Nigeria’s escalating kidnap-for-ransom crisis generated at least N2.57 billion for criminal groups between July 2024 and June 2025, underscoring how abductions have evolved into a structured, profit-driven enterprise amid worsening insecurity, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.
The report, titled The Year Ahead at an Inflexion Point, examined key economic and political developments shaping Africa in 2025 and revealed that while kidnappers demanded an estimated N48 billion during the 12-month period, they were able to collect only a fraction of that amount.
SBM Intelligence documented 4,722 abductions across 997 incidents, with at least 762 people killed in the process.
The findings suggest that kidnapping in Nigeria has moved beyond opportunistic crime into an organised industry sustained by weak governance, porous security architecture and entrenched criminal networks.
Although ransom demands surged sharply in naira terms, the report noted that the actual dollar value realised by kidnappers remained relatively modest due to the depreciation of the naira.
The N2.57 billion paid in ransom was equivalent to about $1.66 million, only slightly higher than the $1.13 million realised in 2022 when N653.7 million was collected.
“Whereas N653.7 million in 2022 equalled approximately $1.13 million, the far larger sums now extracted yield only a modest increase in dollar terms, prompting criminals to inflate naira demands,” the report stated.
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The Northwest continued to dominate Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom economy, accounting for 425 incidents (42.6%) and 2,938 victims (62.2%) nationwide. Zamfara State recorded the highest number of abducted persons at 1,203, followed by Kaduna and Katsina States.
SBM Intelligence attributed this concentration to vast, poorly governed rural spaces and the presence of well-armed bandit syndicates capable of carrying out mass operations with minimal resistance.
In contrast, the Southwest recorded the lowest levels of kidnapping, accounting for just 5.3% of incidents and 3% of victims.
Mass abductions—defined as incidents involving more than five victims—made up about 23% of all cases and were overwhelmingly concentrated in northern states. Victims, the report said, were sometimes forced to work on bandit-controlled farms and illegal mining sites, further strengthening criminal economies.
Beyond ransom-related crimes, the report highlighted persistent large-scale violence across several regions in 2025.
In the Northcentral, attacks linked to suspected herdsmen continued through March, with Benue State particularly affected. A single attack in Katsina Ala Local Government Area on March 7 reportedly killed 15 people.
Zamfara State experienced repeated deadly incidents, including a March 13 attack in Tsafe Local Government Area that killed 40 people, alongside mass kidnappings in Maru LGA where 38 people were abducted the same day.
April and May were among the deadliest months, with attacks in Plateau and Benue States killing over 100 people combined, while mass abductions of up to 100 individuals were recorded in Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto States.
The violence escalated further in June with the Yelewata massacre in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where about 200 people were killed in a single incident.
July and August also saw mass-casualty attacks, including over 170 deaths in Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara and 100 fatalities in Bukkuyum.
By October, large-scale abductions persisted, with 73 people kidnapped in Bukkuyum, while Plateau and Katsina States recorded fresh deadly attacks.
SBM Intelligence concluded that kidnapping in Nigeria is no longer a series of isolated crimes, but an organised enterprise operating with growing efficiency and impunity, intertwined with banditry and communal violence.
Security analysts say the findings highlight a dangerous shift. Dr. Kabir Adamu, a security risk consultant, noted that the ransom economy has become self-sustaining.
“What we are seeing is the emergence of a parallel criminal economy,” Adamu said. “Ransom payments, forced labour and illegal mining are now interconnected revenue streams that weaken state authority and entrench armed groups in rural communities.”
Similarly, Ms. Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), warned that the economic implications go beyond immediate losses.
“This level of insecurity distorts local livelihoods, discourages farming and investment, and fuels displacement,” she said. “Communities become poorer, while criminal groups gain more power and legitimacy in areas where the state is absent.”