The latest Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed alarming figures on the state of crime in Nigeria.
According to the survey, Nigerians paid a total of N2.23 trillion in ransom over the 12-month period from May 2023 to April 2024.
This amount was paid by households affected by kidnapping, emphasizing the escalating threat posed by criminals across the country.
Widespread crime incidences
The CESPS provides a detailed account of the crime situation in Nigeria, noting a total of 51.89 million crime incidences experienced by households during the period under review.
The North-West region recorded the highest number of crimes, with over 14.4 million incidents, followed by the North-Central region at 8.8 million. In contrast, the South-East recorded the fewest incidences, with 6.18 million cases.
The survey highlights that rural areas were more affected by crime than urban areas, with rural households experiencing a total of 26.53 million crime incidents, compared to 25.36 million in urban settings.
A major finding of the CESPS was the alarming number of kidnapping incidents. According to the report, approximately 4.14 million households in Nigeria fell victim to home robbery.
Also, a significant 65% of households affected by kidnapping were forced to pay a ransom to secure the release of their loved ones. The average ransom paid was N2.67 million, contributing to the total sum of N2.23 trillion spent by Nigerians on kidnappers’ demands during the 12-month period.
The high ransom figure paints a grim picture of the security situation in Nigeria, as families and communities continue to grapple with the devastating financial and emotional toll of kidnapping crimes. The survey also found that only 36.3% of those affected by home robbery reported the incident to the police, while the reporting rate for kidnappings was similarly low.
The reasons for not reporting crimes include a lack of confidence in law enforcement agencies and the belief that police intervention would not result in meaningful action.
The report read: “Nationally, an estimated 51,887,032 crime incidences were experienced by households. The North-West (14,402,254) reported the highest incidences of crime at household level, followed by North-Central (8,771,400), while South-East (6,176,031) reported the least. The result also shows that the crime incidence in the rural area (26,526,069) was higher than that of the urban area (25,360,963).
“In Nigeria, 4,142,174 households experienced home robbery. Less than half (36.3%) of the households who were victims of home robbery reported their experience to the police. Among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0%vpaid a ransom. The average amount paid as ransom was N2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of N2,231,772,563,507 paid within the reference period.”
Phone theft as the most common crime
On an individual level, the survey revealed that 21.4% of Nigerians reported being victims of crime. The most common crime was phone theft, which affected 13.8% of Nigerians.
Despite the high incidence of phone theft, 90% of victims reported the theft to the police. However, only half of those victims were satisfied with the police response.
The survey also highlighted the prevalence of sexual offences, with an estimated 1.4 million Nigerians falling victim. A significant portion of these incidents occurred in the homes of others (27.7%) or within the victim’s own home (22.2%). Alarmingly, only 22.7% of sexual offence victims reported the crime to the police.
Lack of trust in security forces
Despite the widespread crime, Nigerians’ perception of safety remains concerning. According to the survey, 9.6% of Nigerians believed they might become victims of crime in the next 12 months.
This fear was more pronounced in rural areas, where 13.0% of the population felt vulnerable, compared to 7.0% in urban areas.
The effectiveness of Nigeria’s security forces, particularly the police, was a key concern in the survey. Nationally, only 33.1% of Nigerians reported that security agencies responded to emergency calls within 30 minutes, an indicator of the slow response times faced by many Nigerians during critical moments.
Additionally, approximately 4 out of 10 households interacted with state or local security forces during the survey period, with 1 in 2 households contacting the Nigerian Police. However, dissatisfaction with police responses was high, particularly regarding crimes such as livestock and crop theft, where satisfaction levels were as low as 42.9% and 42.4%, respectively.
In rural areas, many households have resorted to relying on local vigilante groups for security, given their perceived effectiveness compared to formal security agencies.