Data from SBM intelligence has revealed that kidnappings and ransom payments in the Northern Part of the country have cost N172.7m from June 2022 to June 2023.
The report shows that Kebbi State paid N15 million for ransom in the period under review, while Zamfara paid N9 million. in Niger State, the kidnapped victims have managed to pay a total of N14 million from June 2022 to June 2023.
Kaduna State, which has been a hotspot for kidnapping and other banditry activities in the country, paid a total of N11.4 million for ransom. In Taraba State, a total of N60m was paid, which is the highest amount paid in the northern region.
In Nasarawa state, the kidnapped victims paid the highest amount of ransom, N47.8 million, to kidnappers, in the Federal Capital Territory, a total of N13.8 million was paid, whereas Benue State, which has suffered from headmen-farmers clashes in the past years with a high number of displaced persons, recorded the lowest amount of payment to kidnappers in the region, with N1.7 million paid.
However, the data from the agency could not capture the amount paid in Kastina, Kano, Borno, Pleateu and Bauchi.
The data also shows that a total of 125 people were kidnapped in the North East in the period under review, while 63 died in the kidnappers’ custody. North West recorded 1,921 kidnap cases and 217 deaths. In the North Central region, 977 people were reportedly kidnapped, while 153 died in the kidnappers’ custody.
According to the data, a total of 433 people have died in their Kidnappers’ custody from June 2022 to June 2023 in the Northern region of country, while 3,023 people comprise the total kidnapping in the region
