From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Out of a total of 51,887,032 crime incidents across the country, the North-West reported the highest crime rate with 14,402,254, followed by the North-Central (8,771,400), while the South-East (6,176,031) reported the least.
This is according to the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) between May 2023 and April 2024.
The result also shows that the crime incidence in rural areas (26,526,069) was higher than that of urban areas (25,360,963). In Nigeria, 4,142,174 households experienced home robbery. Less than half (36.3 per cent) of the households that were victims of home robbery reported their experience to the police. Among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0 per cent paid a ransom. The average amount paid as ransom was ₦2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of ₦2,231,772,563,507 paid during the reference period.
According to the study, the NBS stated that the most common reasons for not reporting crimes include lack of confidence in law enforcement and the belief that police intervention would not result in meaningful action.
At the individual level, 21.4 per cent of Nigerians reported being victims of crime, and the most common crime was phone theft (13.8 per cent). About 90 per cent of the victims of phone theft reported to the police, and only 50 per cent of the victims expressed satisfaction with police responses.
Meanwhile, the bureau said that an estimated 1.4 million people experienced sexual offences, which occurred mostly in someone else’s home (27.7 per cent), followed by the victim’s home (22.2 per cent). Sexual offences were less likely to occur at a public transport station (0.9 per cent), and only 22.7 per cent of victims reported to the police, the NBS said.
Recall that the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) provides an in-depth understanding of the situation of crime in Nigeria. It is a household-based survey, and the target population comprises household members aged 15 years and older. The survey was carried out to produce estimates at national and zonal levels covering both urban and rural areas for a twelve-month reference period (May 2023 to April 2024). The findings provide crucial insights for security agencies, stakeholders, and policymakers to improve public safety and align with the Sustainable Development Goals.