The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigerians paid a staggering N2.23 trillion in ransom to kidnappers between May 2023 and April 2024, underscoring the alarming rise in criminal activities and the economic burden of insecurity in the country.
This revelation was contained in the bureau’s latest Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, which reported that 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households during the period under review.
The North-West emerged as the most crime-ridden region, with 14.4 million incidents, followed by the North-Central, which recorded 8.8 million cases.
In contrast, the South-East reported the least crime, with 6.18 million incidents.
The report also revealed that rural areas bore the brunt of criminal activities, accounting for 26.53 million crime incidents compared to 25.36 million in urban areas.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that kidnapping was highlighted as one of the most severe crimes, with 4.14 million households experiencing home robberies, often linked to abductions.
Among households affected by kidnappings, 65 per cent were forced to pay ransom to secure the release of their loved ones.
According to the report, the average ransom paid was N2.67 million per incident, culminating in a total of N2.23 trillion paid by victims over the 12-month period.
The reports also indicated that despite the gravity of these crimes, reporting rates remain abysmally low. .
Only 36.3 per cent of households affected by home robberies or kidnappings reported the incidents to the police.
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 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).
“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.
“Among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0 per cent paid 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.”
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that many victims cited a lack of confidence in law enforcement and skepticism about the effectiveness of police interventions as the primary reasons for not seeking official help.
The survey further revealed that 21.4 per cent of Nigerians were victims of crime at the individual level, with phone theft being the most common, affecting 13.8 per cent of the population.
Interestingly, 90 per cent of phone theft victims reported the incidents to the police, but only half expressed satisfaction with the police response.
In addition, 1.4 million Nigerians were reported as victims of sexual offences, with most incidents occurring in private residences.
However, only 22.7 per cent of these cases were reported to law enforcement authorities.
According to the survey, 9.6 per cent of respondents believed they were at risk of falling victim to crime within the next 12 months.
This perception was more prevalent in rural areas (13 per cent) compared to urban regions (7 per cent).
The report also highlighted the inefficiency of security agencies, noting that only 33.1 per cent of Nigerians received emergency responses from law enforcement within 30 minutes of making a distress call.
PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that given the lack of trust in the police, many rural communities have turned to local vigilante groups for protection.
These groups were perceived as more reliable in handling emergencies, especially in cases involving livestock and crop theft, where satisfaction with police responses was as low as 42.9 per cent and 42.4 per cent, respectively.
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