SECURITY REPORT: Over 4,700 Nigerians Abducted, ₦2.57 Billion Paid as Ransom in One Year – SBM Intelligence




📰 SECURITY REPORT

Over 4,700 Nigerians Abducted, ₦2.57 Billion Paid as Ransom in One Year – SBM Intelligence

By  Prince Agbedeyi O. D
Global Egberi Media International

Abuja, Nigeria — August 27, 2025

Nigeria’s worsening security crisis has once again been laid bare in a damning new report by SB Morgen (SBM) Intelligence, a geopolitical research and analysis firm. According to the findings, 4,722 people were abducted across the country between July 2024 and June 2025, with victims’ families paying at least ₦2.57 billion in ransom to secure their release.

The report, titled “Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry”, revealed that out of a staggering ₦48 billion demanded by kidnappers during the period under review, only ₦2.57 billion was confirmed to have been received.

It also highlighted that no fewer than 997 kidnapping incidents were recorded nationwide, leaving at least 762 people dead in the same period.

Kidnapping as a Business Enterprise

SBM described Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis as a “lucrative criminal enterprise”, stressing that the crime has evolved from being a symptom of insecurity to a sophisticated, self-sustaining business model.

The report warned that kidnappers are now demanding increasingly outrageous sums in naira to offset the weakening purchasing power of the currency, turning abductions into a highly organised economic system.

In 2022, families paid a total of ₦653.7 million (approx. $1.13m) in ransom. By 2024, the amount rose sharply to ₦1.05 billion, but the dollar equivalent stood at only $655,000 due to devaluation. The latest figure of ₦2.57 billion translates to just $1.66 million, again reflecting the harsh impact of the naira’s freefall.

State Breakdown of Kidnap Incidents

The research firm’s analysis revealed that the Northwest region remains the most violent, while the Southeast and South-South face more targeted religious abductions and financial extortion.

  • Katsina State led in the number of kidnapping incidents with 131 cases, accounting for 13.1% of the national total.

  • Zamfara State recorded the highest number of abducted persons, with 1,203 victims (25.4% of the total).

  • Other heavily impacted states include Kaduna (123 cases), Zamfara (113 cases), and Niger (40 cases).

  • In the South, Delta State emerged as the most affected, with 49 incidents — representing less than 5% of the national total.

The Eye-Watering Ransoms

One of the most shocking revelations in the report came from Delta State. On March 15, 2025, in Ebedei Ukwuole community, Ukwuani Local Government Area, the kidnappers of Chidimma and Precious Enuma, alongside their aunt Anwuri Oko Ye, demanded a staggering ₦30 billion ransom.

That single incident accounted for 62.5% of the total ransom demanded nationwide within the reporting period.

Calls for Urgent Action

The report strongly advised that breaking the cycle of abductions requires urgent, systemic, and coordinated action. SBM urged the Nigerian government to:

  • Disrupt kidnappers’ financial networks using advanced tracing technologies.

  • Address the root causes of kidnapping — poverty, unemployment, and weak law enforcement.

  • Stabilise the economy to prevent criminal groups from exploiting the naira’s devaluation.

Without such decisive measures, SBM warned that Nigeria risks entrenching kidnapping as a grim national industry that perpetuates poverty, undermines recovery, and leaves citizens living in perpetual fear.

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🔖 Tags:

Kidnapping in Nigeria — SBM Intelligence Report — Ransom Payments — Nigeria Security Crisis — Zamfara Insecurity — Kaduna Banditry — Ijaw Nation News — Delta Kidnapping — Chidimma and Precious Enuma Case — Global Egberi Media International

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