Gunmen abducted 3,620, demanded N5bn in one year — Report
Between July 2022 and June 2023, 3,620 people were abducted in over 582 kidnapping incidents in the country, with a reported ransom demand of at least N5billion and an actual ransom payment of over N302million, a figure that could be higher due to underreporting.
An SB Morgan intelligence report released on August 23, 2023, entitled, “The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry: Follow the Money,” disclosed these figures.
The Nigeria Police Force and the military high command – the Defence Headquarters, however, have gone silent over the heart-wrenching situation, while security experts called on the Office of the National Security Adviser currently headed by the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, AIG Nuhu Ribadu (retd.), to declare a state of emergency to curb the disturbing situation.
As Nigeria faces security crises across the six geopolitical zones, Boko Haram, Islamic States of West Africa, Ansar terrorists, bandits, sea pirates, and armed separatist agitators – the Independent People of Biafra, and all other violent groups, take part in kidnapping for ransom, even with the country’s struggling economy, rising inflation, and high unemployment rates.
The PUNCH reports that civilians bear the brunt of this horrifying trend, accounting for 430 fatalities. Security agents and kidnappers themselves suffered 19 and 121 deaths, respectively. The inability of security agencies to effectively curb this menace is evident, as even the killing of kidnappers has not deterred potential abductors.
The SB Morgan intelligence report delves into the harrowing statistics, motivations, and complexities of the growing epidemic. The report unveils a striking correlation between Nigeria’s struggling economy, rising inflation, and soaring unemployment rates and the exponential growth of the kidnap-for-ransom industry.
“Between July 2022 and June 2023, 3,620 people were abducted in 582 kidnap-related incidents in the country, with a reported ransom demand of at least N5 billion and actual ransom payments of N302 million. However, this figure could be higher due to underreporting. Punch
