Kidnapping Crisis: South-East Tops Nigeria’s Kidnapping Payments, Contributing 40% Nationwide; See States that lead
The South-East region of Nigeria has become the epicenter of mass kidnappings, accounting for 40% of ransom payments nationwide. Anambra State has been particularly hard hit, with families in the state paying a staggering N350.2 million in ransom during the past year.
Ransom payments in other South-East states were also significant, though lower than Anambra’s. Imo State paid N39 million, Abia State N25 million, and Enugu and Ebonyi States paid N4 million and N1 million, respectively. The total ransom paid across the region between July 2023 and June 2024 amounted to N419.2 million, according to a report by SMB Morgen, an Africa-focused market and security intelligence firm.
This surge in violence, largely attributed to separatist groups enforcing sit-at-home orders, has severely impacted the region’s stability and instilled fear among residents. In November 2024, the situation escalated as gunmen launched coordinated attacks on the Abatete and Ukpo communities in Anambra, resulting in multiple deaths, including three vigilante members and an innocent civilian. Similarly, in Aba, Abia State, 11 lives were lost, including five military personnel, in an attack blamed on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The violence has also led to the deaths of several civilians, particularly youths, at the hands of security forces attempting to curb the activities of the separatist groups.
In total, the South-East contributed N419.2 million in ransom payments over the course of the year, representing 40% of the N1.048 billion paid nationwide across all six geopolitical zones. While Anambra bore the heaviest burden, other states in the region, including Imo, Abia, Enugu, and Ebonyi, also saw substantial ransom payments.
According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the South-East paid N85.4 billion in ransom during the same period, although this is still significantly less than the N1.2 trillion paid in the North-West, which experienced the highest levels of kidnappin
g activity.
