Nigerian gunmen raise over $5 million from mass kidnappings: Study

Nigerian security experts disclosed that kidnappers amassed nearly $5.8 million from ransom payments in the past year alone, a statistic that is straining education and weakening faith in the government. According to SBM Intelligence, 7,825 individuals were abducted between July 2025 and June 2026, marking a 66% increase from the previous year.

At least 1,142 people lost their lives in these incidents, and confirmed ransom payments surged to 7.78 billion naira ($5.79 million). The data, drawn from news reports, interviews, and open sources, remains conservative as many ransom payments remain undisclosed. Most of the ransom money, around 90%, was collected by a Boko Haram faction operating in the northeast, while the northwest region saw a higher number of incidents and victims.

The report comes as Nigeria's president directed security forces to rescue up to 600 civilians abducted last week in north-central Niger State. The presidency and military have yet to comment on the report's findings. Kidnapping for ransom is a significant component of Nigeria's escalating security crisis, with gunmen targeting schools, villages, and major roads.

These kidnappers, comprising heavily armed bandits and militants, hold their victims for weeks or months until payments are made. SBM estimates that Boko Haram, also known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, received about 7 billion naira, primarily from two mass incidents where over 300 people were taken captive in each event.

A school in Papiri, Niger State, was targeted in November, with 315 pupils and staff abducted. Education faces ongoing challenges, as schools have been routinely targeted for over a decade following the Chibok school raid that drew international attention to such kidnappings. "School abductions have resurfaced, with the Papiri attack reigniting a tactic whose repercussions reverberate through education, agriculture, and public trust," the SBM report stated.