Nigerians paid an astounding ₦2.23 trillion as ransom to kidnappers between May 2023 and April 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS’s Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report, released on Tuesday, revealed that 65% of households impacted by kidnapping paid ransoms to secure the release of their loved ones.
“The average amount paid as ransom was ₦2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of ₦2,231,772,563,507 paid within the reference period,” the report stated.
Kidnapping incidents were estimated at 2,235,954 nationwide, with rural areas (1,668,104 cases) experiencing significantly more incidents than urban areas (567,850).
“Further analysis by zones revealed that North-West had the highest cases (1,420,307), followed by North-Central (317,837), while the least was recorded in South-East (110,432),” the NBS reported.
Among households affected by kidnapping, 80.5% reported the incidents to the police.
“The South-South zone had the highest reporting rate at 100%, followed by North-Central at 89.6%, while North-West was the least reported at 73.9%,” the report added. “Disaggregated by place of residence, urban areas recorded 87.1% compared to 77.3% in rural areas.”
Outcomes for Victims
The report highlighted varying outcomes for kidnapping victims. Of the reported cases, 82.1% of abductees were released, 12.8% were killed, and 3.3% remained in captivity.
The survey further revealed that about 91% of kidnappings were driven by ransom demands, often involving money, goods, or other benefits.
“Additionally, 2.4% of cases were attributed to political, criminal, or terrorist motives, while 2.1% stemmed from personal or family disputes. Custody disputes accounted for 0.5% of cases,” the report noted.
Regional Crime Trends
The North-West region had the highest overall crime rate, with 14.4 million reported cases, followed by the North-Central with 8.8 million. Conversely, the South-East recorded the lowest number of reported crimes, with 6.18 million incidents during the review period.
Kidnappings remain a grim reality in parts of Nigeria, with stories of mass school abductions and tragic killings frequently making headlines. The crime appears to have evolved into a lucrative enterprise for organised gangs.
Despite reassurances from the government and security agencies, experts argue that efforts to curb the crisis have not yielded significant results.
