Nigerians Have Paid Over $18m To Kidnappers In 9 Years – Report (Full List)

Nigerians have paid a whopping sum of $18.34m to kidnappers to secure the release of their family, friends, and loved ones from abductors withing the past 9 years.

Of the $18.34m, Naija News understands from the report that about $11m was paid within the past four years (January 2016-March 2020).

The report by SBM Intelligence, titled Nigeria’s Kidnap Problem: The Economics of the Kidnap Industry in Nigeria also highlighted the breakdown according to states and regions in Nigeria.

“Between June 2011 and end of March 2020, What we have found shows that between June 2011 and the end of March 2020, at least $18.34 million has been paid to kidnappers as ransom,” the report read.

“Even more frightening is that the larger proportion of that figure ( just below $11 million), was paid out between January 2016 and March 2020, indicating that kidnapping is becoming more lucrative.”

The report also listed Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers, all states in the South-South Niger Delta region of the country as 3 states of the top 10 states with the highest number of reported kidnap incidents in Nigeria.

Kaduna State was listed in the report as having the second-highest rate of kidnapping incidents in Nigeria while Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory occupies 11th position.

“Kaduna – the state with the second-highest number of incidents – also has a significant history of violence, especially along its connecting road to Abuja,” the report read.

“While it is not in the top 10, Abuja has the 11th highest number of kidnap incidents over the last decade, and there is anecdotal evidence that some of the perpetrators responsible for Kaduna’s high rate of kidnap attempts have extended their operations into the federal capital.”

18 states comprising Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, and Yobe were listed in the report to have fewer deaths per kidnap attempt.

States in the northern region, which have existing ongoing violence from other sources, were reported to have the highest fatalities.

“It would appear that such existing violence has made the kidnaps much deadlier in these places,” the report said.

“Our conclusion is that where existing violence and/or historic violent norms have devalued human lives, crimes such as kidnapping tend to result in more fatalities.”

Check out the full report here.