Nigeria Records 26.53m Households’ Crimes, N2.23trn Ransom Payments In One Year – NBS Survey
Despite dogged efforts by the security agencies in tackling crime and criminality in the country, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says over 26.53 million crime incidents were reported in rural households across the country in one year.
The Bureau also disclosed that a whopping N2.23 trillion was recorded as the estimated amount paid by Nigerians to kidnappers as ransom within the period under review.
These disturbing figures are contained in the recently published NBS’ Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report in the country.
Offering further insights on its reports within the reference period of May 2023 and April 2024, the Bureau stated that about 51.89 million crime incidents took place across Nigerian households.
The survey’s breakdown indicated that the North-West region recorded the highest rate of crime, with about 14.4 million incidented cases while the North-Central region came in second place with 8.8 million incidents reported.
However, quite unexpectedly, the Survey showed that the South-East geo-political zone, despite the much-touted militant activities of Eastern Security Network (ESN), the so-called paramilitary organization of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), came up with the least crime reports of about 6.18 million incidents.
The survey read in part; “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 the household level, followed by the North-Central (8,771,400), while the 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).”
Further highlighting the situation on ground, the NBS reports said; “In Nigeria, 4,142,174 households experienced home robbery. Less than half (36.3 per cent) of the households who were victims of home robbery reported their experience to the police.”
Additionally, the NBS survey explained that of the number affected by kidnappings, 65 per cent had to cough out huge ransom payments to secure the release of victims.
This is as it emerged that the average ransom payment was N2.67 million, culminating in the total figure of N2.23 trillion paid by Nigerians to criminal elements during the 12 months under review.
“Among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0 per cent paid a ransom”, adding that; “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”, the Survey highlighted.
