Nigeria recorded 7,825 abductions in 1,713 kidnapping and related incidents between July 2025 and June 2026, according to the latest annual report by SBM Intelligence on the country’s kidnapping economy.
The report, which tracks 1,411 kidnapping incidents and 302 security-force operations against kidnappers, said at least 1,142 people were killed during the period.
The figures point to a sharp deterioration from the previous reporting cycle, when 4,722 people were abducted in 997 incidents and 762 deaths were recorded.
The financial dimension of the crisis also expanded significantly. Kidnappers demanded a combined N22.856 billion in ransom during the 12-month period but received N7.779 billion, equivalent to about 34 percent of the total amount demanded.
Compared with the previous cycle, ransom payments more than tripled from N2.56 billion, despite the total amount demanded falling from N48 billion. The report attributed the disparity to negotiations that often reduce initial demands, as well as variations caused by unusually large ransom cases.
Zamfara emerged as the epicentre of the kidnapping crisis, recording 236 incidents and 1,921 victims, representing 16.74 percent and 24.55 percent of the national totals respectively.
Katsina ranked second in the number of incidents with 187 cases but recorded 559 victims. SBM Intelligence linked the relatively lower number of victims to the role of state-backed vigilante groups in resisting kidnappers.
Sokoto followed with 179 incidents and 1,157 victims, with the report pointing to the presence of bandits, small-scale kidnapping gangs and the Islamist group Lakurawa as contributing factors.
Kaduna ranked fourth, recording 134 incidents involving 814 victims.
The regional divide remains pronounced, with northern Nigeria accounting for 7,334 victims, or 93.7 percent of the national total, while the South recorded 491 victims, representing 6.3 percent.
The ransom figures also varied significantly across regions. The Northeast recorded the highest collection rate at 85.7 percent, while the Southeast had the lowest at 1.3 percent. The South-South followed closely at 1.8 percent.
Of the 1,142 deaths recorded during the period, 895 were civilians, representing 78.3 percent of the total. The fatalities also included 179 suspected kidnappers and 68 security personnel.
The latest figures represent a 66 percent increase in the number of people abducted and a 50 percent rise in deaths compared with the previous reporting cycle.
The findings underscore the growing scale and profitability of kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria, while highlighting the disproportionate burden borne by communities in the North.
