Nigeria: Over 7,000 People Kidnapped Across Nigeria, Boko Haram Got 90% of Ransom - Report
[Premium Times] SBM Intelligence, a research think tank, said about 7,825 people were kidnapped in one year, with at least N7.78 billion paid in ransom, while Boko Haram pocketed over 90 per cent of the proceeds.
Over 7,000 individuals were kidnapped in Nigeria between July 2025 and June 2026, with a staggering N7.78 billion paid in ransom, according to a report by SBM Intelligence. The report, titled "The Capture of Nigeria's Kidnap Economy," reveals that Boko Haram, a terror group, received over 90 percent of the ransom proceeds, amounting to N7 billion from eight kidnapping incidents.
The report also states that 963 people were killed during this period, including 68 security agents. The research firm notes that the ransom demands decreased from N48 billion in the previous year to N22.9 billion, but the actual amount paid in ransom more than tripled from N2.56 billion to N7.78 billion. The surge in ransom payments was primarily due to the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda Awati Wal-Jihad (JAS), also known as Boko Haram, which controlled 90 percent of the ransom collected from eight incidents.
Other terror groups, categorized as unaffiliated kidnappers, received the remaining 10 percent of the ransom (N719 million) in 146 incidents. The report also links armed Fulani herdsmen to three cases, resulting in a N5 million ransom. Boko Haram's N5 billion ransom for releasing 416 people from Ngoshe community in Borno State is also mentioned in the report.
The kidnapping crisis spans across Nigeria, with the North accounting for 85 percent of the cases and 96 percent of civilian deaths.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
