No fewer than 1,142 people were killed in 1,713 kidnapping and related incidents across Nigeria between July 2025 and June 2026, according to SBM Intelligence.
The research firm also reported that kidnappers received N7.8 billion in ransom payments during the period.
The findings appeared in a report titled “The Capture of the Kidnap Economy,” released on Thursday.
According to the report, kidnappers abducted 7,825 people during the 12-month period.
It also recorded 895 civilian deaths across the incidents reviewed, while the overall death toll stood at at least 1,142.
Boko Haram Faction Collected 90% of Ransom
SBM Intelligence said the country’s kidnapping economy has undergone a major shift.
It found that the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram collected 90 per cent of the ransom paid during the period.
The group received the money from just eight incidents.
Two major abductions accounted for N7 billion of the total ransom paid.
One involved 416 people abducted from Ngoshe in Borno State, with a reported ransom of N5 billion.
The other involved 315 pupils and staff abducted from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State.
The ransom paid in that case reportedly amounted to N2 billion.
“Ransom demanded fell from N48 billion to N22.9 billion, yet the amount actually paid more than tripled, from N2.56 billion to N7.78 billion,” the report stated.
It added that the collection rate rose from 5.35 per cent to 34 per cent.
North Records Highest Kidnapping Figures
The Northwest recorded the highest number of kidnapping incidents, victims and deaths during the period.
Zamfara recorded 236 kidnapping incidents involving 1,921 victims.
“Zamfara recorded 236 kidnapping incidents and 1,921 victims, nearly a quarter of the national total,” SBM Intelligence reported.
The North accounted for 93.7 per cent of all reported abductions.
The South accounted for the remaining 6.3 per cent.
Mass Abductions Remain Common
SBM Intelligence identified mass abduction as the most common method used by kidnappers.
Zamfara recorded 92 mass abductions, followed by Sokoto with 76.
The report also noted a resurgence in school kidnappings.
It said the Papiri school attack highlighted the wider impact of abductions on education, farming and public trust.
The report warned that paying ransom does not always guarantee the safe release of victims.
In at least six cases, kidnappers reportedly killed victims even after receiving ransom payments.
It also found that ransom payers were increasingly becoming targets themselves.
In 14 incidents, kidnappers demanded goods, motorcycles, phones, food and fuel instead of cash.
Report Calls for Financial Crackdown
SBM Intelligence said most kidnapping cases involved bandits and criminal gangs.
However, it found that a single terrorist organisation received the largest share of the ransom actually paid.
The report called for stronger measures to disrupt the financial networks that fund insurgency.
It also recommended tackling the economic conditions that help criminal groups recruit new members.
The report warned that Nigeria risks allowing kidnapping to become a permanent criminal industry without a coordinated response.
“The strategic implication is stark,” it stated.
The report said bandits and criminal gangs demanded N13.5 billion but collected only N719 million.
That represented a collection rate of 5.3 per cent.
By comparison, the JAS faction demanded N9.2 billion and collected N7 billion.
Its collection rate stood at 76 per cent.
SBM Intelligence concluded that while many criminal groups demand ransom, the money actually paid is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a single terrorist organisation.
