The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigerians paid N2.23 trillion in ransoms in the 12 months from May 2023 to April 2024.
This is a result of the growing and unchecked wave of criminal activity, particularly kidnapping, sweeping across the country.
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The figure comes from the NBS’s Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS), which paints a picture of the security situation in Nigeria.
The survey shows 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households, highlighting the widespread nature of criminal activities.
Of the households affected by kidnappings, 65 percent were forced to pay a ransom to secure the release of victims, with the average ransom demand reaching N2.67 million.
This collective payment has placed a tremendous financial burden on Nigerians, contributing to the total ransom figure of N2.23 trillion.
The survey highlights regional disparities in crime rates, with the North-West region suffering the highest number of crime incidents, at over 14.4 million.
The North-Central region followed closely with 8.8 million incidents, while the South-East region recorded the fewest, with 6.18 million.
The report found that rural areas were more severely impacted by crime than urban areas, with rural households experiencing 26.53 million crime incidents compared to 25.36 million in urban settings.
This disparity further points to the heightened vulnerability of rural communities, where access to law enforcement and emergency response systems is often limited.
The survey also revealed disturbing patterns in reporting crime. Despite the widespread criminal incidents, only 36.3 percent of households that experienced home robberies reported the incident to the police.
Similarly, a low percentage of those affected by kidnappings chose to involve law enforcement.
The primary reasons for this low reporting rate were a lack of trust in the police and a belief that law enforcement would not take meaningful action.
This pervasive lack of confidence in the police appears to be a significant factor in the widespread underreporting of crimes, with many victims opting not to pursue justice through official channels.
On an individual level, 21.4 percent of Nigerians reported being victims of various crimes, with phone theft being the most common, affecting 13.8 percent of the population.
While 90 percent of phone theft victims reported the crime to the police, only half were satisfied with the police response, pointing to widespread dissatisfaction with law enforcement’s ability to address even relatively common crimes.
Additionally, the survey revealed that sexual offenses were a significant concern, with an estimated 1.4 million Nigerians falling victim. These crimes often occurred within the victim’s or perpetrator’s home.
Alarmingly, only 22.7 percent of sexual offense victims reported the crime to the police, reflecting a persistent lack of trust in the police’s ability to address such serious violations.
Despite the high incidence of crime, the survey found that Nigerians’ perception of safety remains disturbingly low.
About 9.6 percent of the population believed they were at risk of becoming victims of crime within the next 12 months, with rural areas reporting a higher sense of vulnerability. In rural areas, 13 percent of individuals felt at risk, compared to just 7 percent in urban areas.
The effectiveness of Nigeria’s security forces, particularly the police, was also called into question, as only 33.1 percent of Nigerians reported that security agencies responded to emergency calls within 30 minutes.
Furthermore, roughly four out of ten households interacted with state or local security forces during the survey period, with half contacting the Nigerian Police.
However, satisfaction with police responses was notably low, especially in cases of livestock and crop theft, where only 42.9 percent and 42.4 percent of victims expressed satisfaction, respectively.
In rural areas, many households have turned to local vigilante groups for security, considering them more reliable and effective than formal security agencies.
This reflects a growing sense of distrust in national security institutions, with local groups often filling the void left by the police and military.
The findings of the CESPS paint a stark picture of the security situation in Nigeria, where rampant crime, particularly kidnapping, is costing households billions in ransom payments.
The low rate of crime reporting and public dissatisfaction with the police further highlights the country’s deepening security crisis.
