The Nigerians paid N2.57 billion in redemption to the kidnappers in a year – Report

The Nigerians paid the kidnappers in a stunning N2.57 billion redemption between July 2024 and June 2025, revealed a new report by the geopolitical research company, SBM Intelligence.

The report, entitled “Economy of the Nigeria kidnapping industry”, observed that the kidnappers required a total of N48 billion in the period of a year, but received only a fraction of the amount.

According to the study, at least 4,722 people were kidnapped in 997 accidents, while no less than 762 people lost their lives in violence linked to kidnapping.

“The kidnapping has evolved into a highly profitable criminal company in Nigeria, with 4,722 civilized civilians and N2.56 billion N2.56 confirmed in redemption payments within only 12 months,” said SBM.

The report identified Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina as the worst states affected by the threat.

While Katsina recorded the largest number of accidents with 131 cases (13.1% of the national total), Zamfara had the greatest number of victims, with 1,203 residents kidnapped – 25.4% of the total figure.

Kaduna followed closely with 123 accidents, while the states of the Niger and delta also made the first five, although Delta represented less than 5% of the total cases, underlining that the crisis remains mainly a northern phenomenon.

SBM explained that the redemption economy was directly affected by the currency crisis of Nigeria.
Although the redemption payments to Naira have increased – from N653.7 million in 2022 to N2.56 billion in 2025 – the dollar value decreased due to the devaluation of Naira, descending from $ 1.13 million in 2022 to $ 1.66 million in 2025.

“This significant divergence reflects the weakening of the purchasing power of the Naira. The kidnappers now ask for more and higher sums into local currency, transforming the kidnapping into a self -sufficient criminal company,” says the report.

One of the most shocking requests for redemption in the revision period came from the kidnapping of Chidimma and Precious Enuma, and their aunt Anwuri Oko Ye a Ebedei Ukwuole, UKWUANI LGA of the state of the Delta.

The kidnappers requested a redemption of N30 billion n30 billion, which represented 62.5% of all requests for redemption at national level during the year.

SBM warned that unless the government adopts a global strategy to weaken the profitability of the kidnapping, facing causes at the root as poverty, unemployment and weak police, the trend could become a permanent feature of the Nigerian economy.

“Time has passed for half measures. Breaking the redemption economy is the only way to recover the safety and future of Nigeria”, recommended the company, exhorting the authorities to implement advanced technologies of financial traces and implement economic stabilization policies.

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