- Tinubu to Unveil New Counter-Terrorism Strategy – NCTC
- ‘Nigerians paid N2.56b as ransom to kidnappers in one year’
- Zamfara State recorded the highest number of abductions
The National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, has announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will unveil the revised national counter-terrorism strategy in October.
Speaking in Abuja at the third quarter stakeholders’ meeting of the National Counter-Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST), Laka said the document underwent an extensive review to align Nigeria’s security framework with evolving threats.
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He added that the strategy had been finalised and forwarded to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for approval.
Meanwhile, a new report by SBM Intelligence has revealed that Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom industry has reached unprecedented levels, with citizens paying at least ₦2.56 billion between July 2024 and June 2025 to secure the release of abducted persons.
At least 4,722 people were kidnapped within the period, representing a 144 per cent increase from ₦1.05 billion paid in the previous year.
The report, Locust Business: The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry – A 2025 Update, warned that kidnapping has evolved into a well-organised criminal enterprise rather than isolated security incidents.
It documented 997 abduction cases nationwide, in which 762 people were killed, including 563 civilians.
According to the findings, the North-West remains the epicentre, accounting for over 62 per cent of victims.
Zamfara State recorded the highest number of abductions (1,203), while Katsina reported the most incidents (131) and the highest civilian fatalities. Kaduna also recorded 629 victims.
During the review period, kidnappers demanded ₦48 billion in ransom, but only 5.35 per cent was actually paid.
The report noted that while ransom payments in naira more than doubled within a year, the dollar equivalent rose only slightly due to currency depreciation, underscoring how inflation and exchange rate pressures are reshaping the economics of abductions.
“The convergence of crime and ideology has turned kidnapping into both a security threat and a financing model for insurgency,” the report warned.
