The National Bureau of Statistics has released the latest household crime in the country putting the figure at an estimated 51,887,032 incidents.
The Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey 2024 released by the NBS on Tuesday, shows that the North-West ranked highest with a figure of 14,402,254 as the highest incidences of crime at household level, followed
by North-Central (8,771,400), while 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, and less than half (36.3%) of the households who were victims of home robbery were said to have reported their experience to the police.
Among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0 percent paid a ransom, while the average amount paid as ransom was ₦2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of ₦2,231,772,563,507
paid within the reference period.
According to this study, 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 percent of Nigerians reported being victims of crime, and the most
common crime was phone theft (13.8%).
According to the NBS, “about 90 percent of the victims of phone thefts reported to the police, and only 50 percent of the victims expressed satisfaction with police
responses.
“Nationwide, an estimated 1.4 million experienced sexual offences, which occurred mostly in someone else’s home (27.7%), followed by the victim’s home (22.2%). Sexual offences are less
likely to occur at a public transport station (0.9%), and only 22.7 percent of victims reported to the police.
“Public perception on safety shows that 9.6 percent of Nigerians believed they might be a victim of crime in the next 12 months. In rural areas, 13.0 percent of the population believed they could be victims of crime and 7.0 percent in urban areas.
“Security agencies’ average response time to emergencies is a key indicator of effective crime
prevention. Nationally, 33.1% reported that the average response time to an emergency call by
security agencies are less than 30 minutes.
“About 4 out of 10 households had at least one interaction with state or local security forces
within the reference period. Also,1 out of 2 households had contact with the Nigerian Police,
and 25.7 percent reported the incidence of crime to the police after experiencing a crime.
Satisfaction with police responses was notably low, particularly for crimes like livestock theft
(42.9%) and crop theft (42.4%). In rural areas, many households rely on local vigilante groups.”
The Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) provides an in-depth understanding into the situation of crime in Nigeria.
It is a household-based survey, and the target population comprises household members 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 NBS said the findings provide crucial insights for security agencies, stakeholders, and policymakers to improve public safety and align with the Sustainable Development Goals.