Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis has intensified, with 7,825 people abducted in 1,713 incidents between July 2025 and June 2026, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.
The report, titled The Capture of Nigeria’s Kidnap Economy, also recorded more than 1,100 deaths and N7.78 billion in ransom payments during the 12-month period.
The research firm said kidnapping remained heavily concentrated in Northern Nigeria, with the Northwest, Northeast and North-Central geopolitical zones accounting for 93.7 per cent of all victims recorded nationwide.
Zamfara, Sokoto and Borno emerged as the three states with the highest number of kidnapping victims, with Zamfara alone accounting for 1,921 victims — almost one-quarter of the national total.
SBM Intelligence said the number of kidnapping victims rose by 66 per cent compared with the previous reporting cycle, describing the increase as evidence of a major transformation in Nigeria’s kidnapping economy.
The report also identified a significant shift in the methods used by kidnappers, with mass abductions increasingly becoming the dominant pattern.
Ransom payments surge despite lower demands
According to the report, kidnappers demanded a combined N22.9 billion in ransom during the period under review, down significantly from the N48 billion demanded in the previous reporting cycle.
However, the amount actually paid increased sharply from N2.56 billion to N7.78 billion.
The ransom collection rate consequently rose from 5.35 per cent to 34 per cent.
SBM Intelligence also found that a faction of Boko Haram, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS), received approximately 90 per cent of the ransom paid, despite being linked to only eight incidents.
Two mass-abduction cases alone accounted for N7 billion of the total ransom paid.
Zamfara records 1,921 kidnapping victims
Zamfara recorded the highest number of kidnapping victims in Nigeria, with 1,921 people abducted in 236 incidents.
The figure represents 24.55 per cent of all kidnapping victims recorded nationally and 16.74 per cent of all incidents during the period.
The state also recorded 211 civilian deaths, 10 security personnel killed and three suspected kidnappers killed.
Despite having the highest number of incidents, victims and civilian fatalities, Zamfara recorded only four anti-kidnap operations during the year.
SBM Intelligence described the disparity between the scale of the crisis and the number of recorded operations as a stark mismatch”
The research firm, however, cautioned that the figures should not necessarily be interpreted as proof of an absence of security efforts, noting the strength and organisational capacity of armed groups operating across the state.
Zamfara was also identified as the epicentre of Nigeria’s mass-abduction crisis.
The state recorded 92 mass-abduction incidents involving 1,722 victims, the highest figures recorded by any state.
According to the report, the concentration of mass kidnappings in Zamfara demonstrates how the crime has evolved from isolated criminal activity into an increasingly organised economic system.
SBM Intelligence linked the situation partly to the state’s vast rural terrain, which allows armed groups to establish camps and operate beyond the reach of conventional security structures.
Some victims abducted in Zamfara were reportedly taken to forest camps, where kidnappers allegedly forced them to work in activities including farming and artisanal mining.
Sokoto records 1,157 victims
Sokoto ranked second nationally, with 1,157 people abducted in 179 incidents.
The state recorded 166 civilian deaths and four security-agent deaths, while no kidnapper deaths were reported.
Security agencies carried out 19 anti-kidnap operations in the state during the period.
Sokoto also recorded 76 mass-abduction incidents involving 974 victims, placing it among the major centres of mass kidnapping in the country.
The state accounted for 108 of the 370 civilian deaths recorded nationwide in mass-abduction incidents.
Borno records 892 kidnapping victims
Borno ranked third with 892 victims recorded across 55 kidnapping incidents.
The state recorded 20 anti-kidnap operations, while 24 civilians and 13 security personnel were killed.
No kidnapper deaths were recorded in Borno during the period under review.
The state also recorded the largest single ransom payment identified in the report.
According to SBM Intelligence, N5 billion was paid following the abduction of 416 people in Ngoshe.
Another N2 billion was reportedly paid for the release of 315 pupils and staff abducted from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State.
The two incidents alone accounted for N7 billion of the N7.78 billion paid in ransom nationwide during the 12-month period.
Kaduna records 814 victims
Kaduna State recorded 814 kidnapping victims across 134 incidents.
The state conducted 24 anti-kidnap operations and recorded 130 civilian deaths.
Security forces also killed 74 suspected kidnappers in Kaduna, the highest number recorded among the states covered by the report.
No security personnel were reported killed in Kaduna during the period.
Katsina records 559 victims
Katsina recorded 559 kidnapping victims across 187 incidents, making it the state with the second-highest number of incidents after Zamfara.
The state conducted 25 anti-kidnap operations during the period, one fewer than Benue, which recorded the highest number of such operations.
Katsina recorded 101 civilian deaths, six security-agent deaths and one suspected kidnapper killed.
SBM Intelligence noted a significant difference between Katsina and neighbouring Zamfara, despite both states experiencing high levels of kidnapping.
The report attributed part of the difference to the effectiveness of community-based security structures and vigilante groups operating in Katsina.
It specifically cited the Katsina State Community Security Watch Corps as being more effective in resisting kidnappers than the Zamfara Community Protection Guards, with both structures receiving support from conventional security agencies.
Northern Nigeria remains kidnapping hotspot
The findings paint a picture of a kidnapping economy increasingly driven by organised armed groups, mass abductions and large ransom payments.
With 93.7 per cent of victims recorded across the three northern geopolitical zones, the report highlights the disproportionate burden of kidnapping on communities in Northern Nigeria.
The rise in victims despite a fall in ransom demands also suggests that kidnappers may be relying increasingly on large-scale abductions rather than isolated cases.
SBM Intelligence warned that the ability of armed groups to operate from remote locations, maintain camps and control access to rural communities continues to complicate efforts to contain the crisis.
The report’s findings underscore the scale of the security and economic challenge posed by kidnapping in Nigeria and the growing need for sustained intelligence-led operations, stronger community security structures and improved protection for vulnerable rural communities.
