Armed groups in Nigeria collected nearly $6 million in ransom payments over the past year, as kidnappings surged across Africa’s most populous country, according to a study by Lagos-based SBM Intelligence.

The consultancy estimates that about 7.78 billion naira, equivalent to $5.8 million, was paid in ransom between July 2025 and June 2026—more than three times the amount recorded the previous year. During this period, at least 7,825 people were abducted, marking a 66% increase, while over 1,100 people were killed, including nearly 900 civilians.

Two mass kidnappings attributed to the jihadist group Boko Haram accounted for almost 90% of the ransom total. More than 400 people were abducted in Borno state, and around 300 pupils and staff were taken from a Catholic school in Niger state. The report notes that 80% of victims were seized in group kidnappings, underscoring the growing scale of the crisis.

Kidnapping has become an increasingly lucrative source of income for jihadists and criminal gangs known as bandits. Nigeria's security forces are already stretched thin due to a 17-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast, widespread banditry in the northwest and central regions, and separatist tensions in the southeast.

The figures may be underestimated, as many victims and their families are reluctant to report ransom payments, which are illegal in Nigeria. The warning comes shortly after another jihadist attack in Niger state last week that resulted in dozens of deaths and numerous kidnappings.

Security concerns are expected to be a major issue in Nigeria's upcoming January 2027 elections, when President Bola Tinubu will seek a second term.

Sources