The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed a staggering financial toll of kidnapping in Nigeria, with citizens paying approximately ₦2.23 trillion in ransom between May 2023 and April 2024.
According to the NBS Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report published on Tuesday, 65 percent of households affected by kidnapping paid ransoms to secure the release of their abducted loved ones.
The average ransom payment stood at ₦2,670,693, culminating in a total estimated ransom expenditure of ₦2,231,772,563,507.
The national kidnapping incidence was estimated at 2,235,954 cases, with rural areas experiencing higher kidnapping rates at 1,668,104 incidents compared to urban areas’ 567,850 cases.
Regional breakdown showed the North-West zone bearing the brunt of kidnappings, recording 1,420,307 cases, followed by North-Central with 317,837 incidents. The South-East region reported the lowest number at 110,432 cases.
Of the households experiencing kidnapping, 80.5 percent reported incidents to the police. The South-South zone demonstrated the highest reporting rate at 100 percent, while the North-West had the lowest at 73.9 percent. Urban areas showed a higher reporting rate of 87.1 percent compared to rural areas’ 77.3 percent.
The survey provided a grim insight into kidnapping outcomes. Approximately 82.1 percent of abducted persons were released, 12.8 percent were killed, and 3.3 percent remained in captivity.
“About 91 percent of kidnapping incidents were done for ransom in the form of money, goods, or other benefits,” the report stated.
Motivations behind kidnappings varied, with 2.4 percent attributed to political, criminal, or terrorist objectives, 2.1 percent linked to personal or family disputes, and 0.5 percent related to custody disputes.
Crime statistics further highlighted the North-West region as the most affected, with 14.4 million reported cases, followed by North-Central with 8.8 million incidents. The South-East region reported the lowest number of crimes at 6.18 million incidents during the period.
