NIGERIANS PAID N1.048B AS RANSOM TO KIDNAPPERS IN ONE YEAR – REPORT SHOWS

NIGERIANS PAID N1.048B AS RANSOM TO KIDNAPPERS IN ONE YEAR – REPORT SHOWS

Nigerians paid N1.048 billion as ransom to kidnappers between July 2023 and June 2024, a report has shown.

The report, released yesterday by the SBM Intelligence, showed that 7,568 people were kidnapped across the country within the period.

SBM Intelligence is an Africa-focused market/security intel gathering consulting firm. Information from its website said it is Nigeria’s leading geopolitical research consultancy outfit, which is “particularly strong in the area of primary data gathering, and analyses of data that provides clarity relating to political, economic and social issues in Nigeria and West Africa”.

According to the report released yesterday by the firm, though abductors demanded N11 billion as ransom within the period, only N1.048bn was paid.

The report said the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recorded the highest ransom demands in the country, with Lagos and Kaduna closely trailing.

An analysis of geopolitical zones showed that the South East leads in both the amount of ransom paid and the rate of successful collections.