Kidnappers in Nigeria collected nearly $5.8 million (7.78 billion naira) in ransom payments between July 2025 and June 2026, according to a report by security consultancy SBM Intelligence released Wednesday. The study found that 7,825 people were abducted during that period, representing a 66% increase compared to the previous year.
The report identified a faction of the Islamist group Boko Haram, known as Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad, as the recipient of 90% of recorded ransom payments in the northeast. While the northeast saw the highest financial volume, the northwest region experienced a higher number of individual kidnapping incidents and victims. Researchers noted that the $5.8 million figure is likely a conservative estimate because many families and organizations do not disclose ransom payments.
The security crisis involves both Islamist militants and heavily armed bandits who target schools, villages, and main roads, often holding victims for weeks or months. In November, 315 pupils and staff were seized from a school in Papiri, Niger State. SBM Intelligence reported that Boko Haram’s recent revenue was driven primarily by two mass abduction events involving more than 300 people each.
The findings were released as President Bola Tinubu ordered security forces to rescue approximately 600 civilians abducted last week from a mosque in north-central Niger State. Residents reported that the victims included women, children, and older people. The Nigerian presidency and military did not provide immediate comments on the SBM Intelligence report.
A person living in affected regions, particularly in the north-central, northwest, and northeast states, would notice a direct impact on their daily safety and economic activity. The report states that abductions have crippled local education and farming, as schools become targets and rural areas become unsafe for labor. Parents and students would specifically notice a resurgence in school raids, a tactic that gained international attention over a decade ago in Chibok and recently reappeared in the Papiri school attack. This environment forces residents to choose between the risk of abduction or the loss of access to basic services and livelihoods.
The surge in kidnappings sets a precedent where criminal activity serves as a primary funding mechanism for groups threatening national stability. SBM Intelligence analysts stated that without a strategy targeting both the profitability and the roots of the crime, the industry could become further entrenched. This security crisis is expected to be a central issue for voters and candidates in the upcoming January elections. The effectiveness of President Tinubu's administration will be under scrutiny following his three-year-old pledge to improve security, as analysts suggest current policies have not yet produced tangible progress. The next immediate steps include the military operations ordered by the president to recover the 600 civilians taken last week.