The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed that Nigerians paid N2.23 trillion ransom to kidnappers in one year. It also revealed that not less than 51,887,032 crime incidences were experienced by households nationally between May 2023 and April 2024. In the Crime Experienced and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024 report released by the NBS, the average amount paid as ransom by kidnap victims was N2.67 million.
In all, about N2.23 trillion was paid as ransom within the same period under review. With 14.40 million cases, the North-West region had the highest incidences of crime. It was quickly followed by the North-Central, with 8.77 million. The South-East recorded 6.17 million incidences. Comparatively, the crime incidence in the rural areas which stood at 26.52 million was higher than the 25.36 million in the urban areas.
During the period under survey, Nigeria recorded about 4.14 million home robbery cases and about 36.3 of the households or less than half of the victims reported the matter to the police. Those who did not report might have lost confidence in the Nigeria Police Force. Some of them might also have concluded that reporting to the police would amount to nothing. The report also showed that 21.4 per cent of Nigerians reported being victims of crime. Phone theft, which accounted for 13.8 per cent, was the most common crime. Across the country, 1.4 million experienced sexual offences. Not less than 9.6 per cent of Nigerians believed that they might be a victim of crime in the next 12 months.
The NBS should be commended for releasing the details of the frightening survey. There is no doubt that the survey reflects the reality of the Nigerian situation. No matter the reservations some people may have about the survey, it shows that all is not well with the nation’s security and the welfare of the citizens. One glaring outcome of the study is that kidnapping has become a lucrative business. In fact, it has indeed become a syndicate with many covert operators.
The police and other security agencies must begin to interrogate the booming kidnap business and those behind its seamless operation. The banking sector should equally be investigated because most of the kidnap victims pay the ransom through bank channels. On the other hand, there is an inseparable link between poverty and crime. The growing poverty in the country can easily make some people to turn to criminality as a means of survival and livelihood.
The rising unemployment has not really helped matters. In a country with over 133 million people who are suffering from multidimensional poverty, the rate of crime is bound to escalate. The rising inflation and cost of living in the country since the removal of fuel subsidy have worsened the situation. The federal and state governments must begin now to evolve pragmatic measures to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty. It appears that earlier measures put in place to tame the monster are not working.
They should begin to do everything to achieve some of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the first four goals. The government must work hard to achieve Goal 1, which entails ending poverty in all its forms everywhere; Goal 2, ending hunger and achieving food security and improved nutrition and promotion of sustainable agriculture. Goals 3 and four call for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, and ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. After achieving these four basic SDGs, the government can go ahead and map out strategies that will propel it to achieve the remainder of the 17 SDGs. The state governments should work with the federal government to achieve the sustainable development goals.
Since the primary function of government is the security and welfare of the people, the federal government must ensure that Nigerians are safe in their country. Let the government tame the thriving kidnap syndicate that operate in all parts of the country and bring those behind the heinous but lucrative business to justice. The security agencies must rise to the challenge and curb the rising kidnapping, insurgency, banditry and terrorism in the country. It is sad that some Nigerians are killed daily by the perpetrators of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and other forms of criminality across the country.