The report identified Zamfara as the epicentre of Nigeria's shift toward mass abduction as the dominant kidnapping method, recording 92 mass abductions during the year, more than any other state nationally.
Zamfara State recorded nearly a quarter of all kidnap victims in Nigeria over the past year despite mounting only four anti-kidnap operations in the same period, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence, raising questions about the adequacy of the state's security response to the country's worst kidnapping crisis.
The report, titled The Capture of Nigeria's Kidnap Economy, found that Zamfara recorded 236 kidnapping incidents and 1,921 victims between July 2025 and June 2026, representing 16.74% of all incidents and 24.55% of all victims nationwide, more than any other state.
"Zamfara leads the way on both the number of kidnapping incidents (236) and the total number of people kidnapped (1,921)," the report said. "These represent 16.74% and 24.55% of the total numbers, respectively."
A stark operational mismatch
