Claim: Sen. Chijinkem Ugwuanyi’s Facebook post states that Enugu had the most kidnappings in the Southeast between July 2024 and June 2025, citing a graphic ranking of states by victims. Verdict: Data indicates that Enugu State had the highest reported number of kidnapping cases in the South-East between July 2024 and June 2025. The claim
Claim: Sen. Chijinkem Ugwuanyi’s Facebook post states that Enugu had the most kidnappings in the Southeast between July 2024 and June 2025, citing a graphic ranking of states by victims.
Verdict: Data indicates that Enugu State had the highest reported number of kidnapping cases in the South-East between July 2024 and June 2025. The claim is true.
Full Story
On the 31st August, 2025, NDR Fact Check Hub saw a post on Facebook, claiming that Enugu State witnessed the highest number of kidnapping cases in the South East. The post is quoted
“Enugu State witnessed the highest number of kídnapped cases in Southeast. This report is from July 2024– June 2025 WE KEEP Moving”.
Kidnapping for ransom has emerged as a major security issue in Nigeria over the past decade. What began as isolated incidents in the Niger Delta during the 2000s has evolved into a nationwide criminal enterprise, now most rampant in the northern states. Groups commonly known as bandits are reported to abduct villagers, commuters, and schoolchildren, frequently requesting large sums of naira as ransom payments.
Caption: screenshot from the Facebook page
The South-East region, once known for separatist unrest and communal violence, has recently seen a significant increase in such incidents in kidnapping cases. Security analysts note that this development demonstrates the expansion of criminal activity beyond the North-West and North Central regions, now impacting additional areas across the country and leaving no region untouched.
In the context of Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges, the prevalence of misinformation and unsubstantiated reports regarding kidnapping statistics has increased on social media. Political figures, commentators, and community organisations frequently disseminate graphics and data that have not been verified, with some accounts overstating or understating incidents to support specific narratives. The spread of such information may contribute to public concern, misrepresent the actual security situation, and undermine confidence in reliable data sources.
It was against this backdrop that NDR Fact Check Hub decided to investigate the viral claim that Enugu State recorded the highest number of kidnapping cases in the South-East between July 2024 and June 2025. By cross-referencing the claim with data from SBM Intelligence, a trusted security research firm whose kidnapping reports are widely cited by local and international media, this fact-check seeks to separate verified facts from speculation.
Verification
To verify the claim, NDR Fact Check Hub carried out a key search on Google, and we saw a new nationwide study by SBM Intelligence, “The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry (2025 update)” with findings revealing that 4,722 people were abducted in 997 incidents across Nigeria between July 2024 and June 2025, with about ₦2.57bn paid in ransom.
NDR Fact Check Hub also reviewed reputable media reports, such as Nairametric and The Cable, as well as The Vanguard, which all cited the same SBM Intelligence findings, thereby corroborating the credibility of the data. The state-by-state figures published from the study show that Zamfara had the most kidnap victims nationally (1,203), followed by Kaduna and Katsina. The same breakdown reproduced in the widely shared graphic lists Enugu with 123 kidnap victims, the highest in the South-East during the period, ahead of Anambra (63) and Abia (27), with far lower numbers in Imo and Ebonyi.
Captioned: screenshot from the sbm report
Conclusion
The assertion that Enugu State recorded the highest number of kidnap cases in the South-East between July 2024 and June 2025 is true. According to verified data from SBM Intelligence, Enugu reported 123 kidnap victims during this period, surpassing all other states in the region.
