As insecurity continues to grip communities across Nigeria, recent data reveal stark differences in the number of people kidnapped in each of the country’s six geopolitical zones over recent years, illustrating the regional spread of abduction incidents and the growing scale of the crisis.
According to compiled figures spanning the period from 2020 to 2024, the North-West geopolitical zone has borne the heaviest burden of kidnappings, with approximately 6,553 victims recorded — far more than any other region. This overwhelming figure means that this single zone accounts for roughly 60 percent of the nation’s total kidnapping toll during the period under review.
Following the North-West, the North-Central zone recorded an estimated 2,687 abduction victims, reflecting a significant security threat that has spread beyond the traditional flashpoints in the far north.
In contrast, kidnapping cases in the southern geopolitical zones have been substantially lower, though far from negligible. Estimates show that:
- The South-West recorded about 462 kidnapped victims.
- The South-South had around 443 victims.
- The North-East, historically troubled by insurgency, saw about 378 people abducted.
- The South-East reported the lowest recorded kidnappings, with approximately 369 victims.
Security analysts warn that these figures likely understate the full scale of the problem, given challenges with reporting and data collection in conflict-affected areas. Still, the available statistics paint a worrying picture: kidnapping in Nigeria remains a pervasive threat that cuts across regional lines, even as some zones face far heavier impacts than others.
