Nigeria has lost over N2.2 trillion to kidnapping ransoms within just one year — an amount higher than the country’s 2024 defence allocation — according to the 8th Nigeria SDG 16 Shadow Report released by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in partnership with Transparency International (TI) Nigeria.
The report, “Leaving No One Behind: Anti-Corruption, Right to Information, and Justice for All,” was presented at a side event of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
Speaking at the event, CISLAC’s Executive Director, Comrade Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), described the development as evidence of the deepening cycle of corruption, weak institutions, and rising insecurity in the country.
He warned that kidnapping has now become “a commercialised venture,” noting that between May 2023 and April 2024 alone, more than 2.23 million incidents of abduction were recorded, with ransom payments exceeding N2.2 trillion (about $1.4 billion).
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“This figure is higher than Nigeria’s entire 2024 defence budget, showing how insecurity has been privatised to the detriment of national stability,” Rafsanjani stated.
He added that political impunity remains a major obstacle to good governance, pointing out that many leaders deliberately fail to declare their assets as required by law, thereby undermining accountability.
Instead, he said, political office holders continue to acquire luxury properties at home and abroad using public funds, fueling illicit financial flows.
The Shadow Report also drew attention to opacity in asset recovery, weaknesses in judicial and electoral institutions, and the shrinking civic space.
It cited the arrest of Katsina whistleblower Mubarak Bello for exposing payroll fraud, a UK tribunal ruling against Chief Mike Ozekhome and his son in a property case, and allegations of high-value property acquisitions abroad linked to Nigeria’s FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
On transparency, Nigeria was reported to have scored only 31 out of 100 in the 2024 Open Budget Survey, while compliance with the Freedom of Information Act remains at 11.4 percent.
The once-active Open Treasury Portal has also gone dormant.
The report further highlighted persistent procurement corruption, unchecked vote-buying, campaign finance violations, and government repression of protests.
Rafsanjani emphasised that the report should serve as both a warning and a guide, saying, “Nigeria risks failing to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals not for lack of institutions or laws, but because of the absence of political will.”
He urged urgent reforms to strengthen institutions, promote transparency, and protect civic freedoms to restore public trust and ensure accountability.
