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Author: Gist Correspondent

No fewer than 7,825 Nigerians were abducted in 1,713 kidnapping and related incidents between July 2025 and June 2026, with victims and their families paying about ₦7.78 billion in ransom, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.

The report, titled The Economics of Nigeria's Kidnap Industry, 2026, revealed that at least 1,142 people were killed during the period, while the number of kidnapping victims rose by 66 per cent compared to the previous year.

SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused security and market intelligence firm, said although total ransom demands dropped from ₦48 billion to ₦22.9 billion, the amount actually paid more than tripled from ₦2.56 billion to ₦7.78 billion.

The report noted that the ransom collection rate rose sharply from 5.35 per cent to 34 per cent, largely due to payments made in two major mass abductions.

According to the report, the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram accounted for 90 per cent of all ransom collected from just eight kidnapping incidents.

It disclosed that two mass abductions alone generated ₦7 billion in ransom payments, including ₦5 billion paid for the release of 416 captives abducted in Ngoshe, Borno State, and ₦2 billion for 315 pupils and staff kidnapped from St. Mary's School in Papiri, Niger State.

SBM said the North remained the epicentre of kidnapping, accounting for 93.7 per cent of all victims, while the South recorded only 6.3 per cent.

Zamfara State recorded the highest number of incidents, with 236 kidnappings involving 1,921 victims, representing nearly one-quarter of the national total.

The report added that mass abductions have become the dominant trend, with four out of every five victims seized in group attacks. Zamfara recorded 92 mass abductions, followed by Sokoto with 76.

It warned that payment of ransom no longer guarantees victims' safety, noting that at least six kidnapped persons were killed even after ransom had been paid. In some cases, kidnappers also demanded motorcycles, food items, fuel, mobile phones and other valuables instead of cash.

SBM observed that while criminal gangs demanded about ₦13.5 billion and received only ₦719 million, JAS demanded ₦9.2 billion and successfully collected ₦7 billion, highlighting the growing financial strength of insurgent groups.

The organisation urged the Federal Government to disrupt the financial networks sustaining kidnapping while addressing the socio-economic conditions driving recruitment into criminal groups, warning that kidnapping risks becoming a permanent source of funding for insurgents if left unchecked.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) disclosed that more than 1,500 persons have been reported missing in Yobe State, out of over 17,000 cases currently being tracked across Nigeria.

Speaking in Damaturu during activities marking the 2026 International Day of the Disappeared, Head of the ICRC Sub-Delegation in Yobe, Sayd Rashid Hassan, said more than half of those reported missing in the state were children at the time they disappeared.

He said the organisation was working to reunite families, trace missing persons and improve systems for documenting unidentified bodies, while urging stronger collaboration among government agencies and humanitarian organisations.

Also, the Kwara State Police Command rescued the traditional ruler of Igbesi, Oba Moses Oyinloye Omotayo, and two other kidnap victims during a joint operation involving police, military personnel and local vigilantes in the Elerin/Ijomu-Oro area of the state.

Police said one suspected kidnapper was killed in a gun battle, while other members of the gang fled into the forest. The rescued victims were taken to hospital for treatment, as security operatives intensified efforts to arrest the fleeing suspects.

In a related development, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, urged the Federal Government to urgently rescue residents reportedly abducted during attacks on communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

Obi described the incident as a national emergency, saying reports indicated that up to 600 persons, mostly women, children and the elderly, may have been abducted, while about 30 people were reportedly killed. He called for intelligence-driven security operations and greater investment in infrastructure to improve access to vulnerable rural communities.