'Two Million Kidnapped, $1.4 Billion Paid in Ransoms in Nigeria'

Security officials in Nigeria are raising concerns after a National Bureau of Statistics survey revealed that more than 2 million people were kidnapped between May 2023 and April 2024. Nigerians also paid $1.42 billion to kidnappers during the same period.

Approximately 600,000 Nigerians were killed and 2.2 million were abducted between May 2023 and April 2024, according to the report. Bandits, locally known as armed gangs, have been responsible for escalating violence in northwest and north-central Nigeria, while violence related to terrorism has been reported in the northeast.

The report stated that 91% of the kidnappings were linked to ransom demands, while other cases were linked to political, criminal, or terrorist motives. In addition, Nigerians spent a cumulative amount of $1.4 billion to rescue their loved ones from kidnappers at an average cost of $1,700 per incident.

The report comes amid growing security concerns in Africa's most populous nation, which is already struggling to cope with a variety of insecurities.