Nigerian security officials are alarmed by a National Bureau of Statistics report revealing over 2 million kidnappings and $1.42 billion paid in ransoms between May 2023 and April 2024.
The report also cites 600,000 deaths and 91% of kidnappings tied to ransom demands, with an average payout of $1,700 per incident. Violence by armed gangs in the northwest and north-central regions, along with terrorism in the northeast, has fueled the crisis.
This highlights escalating insecurity in Africa’s most populous nation, already grappling with multiple security challenges. More here…
