Development experts have shed light on why kidnapping for ransom continues to thrive in Nigeria, especially in the North, despite government efforts to curb the menace.
Their views followed a new report by SBM Intelligence, which revealed that kidnappers demanded over ₦48 billionbetween July 2024 and June 2025, but received about ₦2.57 billion in ransom. The report also showed that 4,722 people were abducted in nearly 1,000 incidents, with Zamfara and Kaduna recording the highest figures.
Speaking on the findings, Dr. Umar Yakubu of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency linked the crisis to poverty, illiteracy, and poor human capital development, especially in the northwest. He stressed the need for tighter financial monitoring, community cooperation, and better governance to reduce the incentives for kidnapping.
Similarly, development economist Dr. Hassan Abdullahi warned that ransom payments from families encourage the crime. “Each time ransom is paid, it emboldens kidnappers to keep going,” he said.
Other analysts faulted weak intelligence gathering, poor security response, and in some cases, collusion with communities. They also called for telecom monitoring to trace calls and financial flows.
The SBM report noted that Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis has become a multi-billion naira criminal enterprise, driven by poverty, unemployment, and a weakening currency. It warned that unless security forces dismantle the networks and address root causes, abductions will remain a major threat across the country.
