The National Bureau of Statistics says kidnapping incidence in the country is estimated at 2,235,954 between May 2023 and April 2024.

The NBS revealed this in its Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024, released on Tuesday.

The  CESPS is a household-based survey that provides an in-depth understanding of the crime situation in Nigeria, with a target population comprising household members 15 years and older.

The NBS said the survey was carried out to produce national and zonal estimates covering urban and rural areas for a twelve-month reference period (May 2023 to April 2024).

The report said that among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0 per cent paid a ransom.

It said the average amount paid as ransom for kidnapping was N2.7 million per incident, with an estimated total ransom of N2.2 trillion paid within the reference period. The North-West reported the highest ransom paid with N1.2 trillion, while the South-East was the least with N85.4 billion.

The report showed that rural areas recorded more kidnappings, with  1,668,104 reported cases, than urban areas, with 567,850. Analysis by zones revealed that the  North-West recorded the highest number of cases with 1,420,307, followed by the North-Central with 317,837, while the least was recorded in the South-East with 110,432.

It showed that nationally, an estimated 51,887,032 crime incidences were experienced by households in Nigeria. It said the North-West reported the highest incidence of household crime, totalling 14,402,254, followed by the North-Central with 8,771,400. The South-East reported the lowest incidence of household crime with 6,176,031.

The report revealed that crime incidence in rural areas was higher, totalling 26,526,069, compared to urban areas at 25,360,963. The NBS said that in Nigeria, 4,142,174 households experienced home robbery incidents.

Analysis by zones showed that the North-West had the highest number of home robbery cases, totalling 1,068,430,  followed by the South-South with 811,231,  while the least was recorded in the South-West with 378,252 cases. The report said that less than half of the households, at 36.3 per cent,  who were victims of home robbery reported to the police.

According to this study, the most common reasons for not reporting crimes include a lack of confidence in law enforcement and the belief that police intervention would not result in meaningful action.

The findings showed that about 24 per cent of households would rather report to other authorities than the police,  followed by those who believed the police would not do anything upon reporting at 22.7 per cent. Only 0.2 per cent mentioned lack of property insurance as a reason for not reporting to the police.

The report also showed that there was a slightly higher report of household robbery among rural dwellers at 37.8 per cent than among urban dwellers at 35.2 per cent.

The NBS said at the individual level, 21.4 per cent of Nigerians reported being victims of crime, and the most common crime was phone theft at 13.8 per cent.

It said about 90 per cent of the victims of phone thefts reported to the police, and only 50 per cent of the victims expressed satisfaction with police responses.

The report said nationwide, an estimated 1.4 million experienced sexual crimes, which occurred mostly in someone else’s home at 27.7 per cent. This was followed by the victim’s home at 22.2 per cent. It said sexual offences were less likely to occur at a public transport station at 0.9 per cent, and only 22.7 per cent of victims reported to the police.

According to the report, public perception of safety showed that 9.6 per cent of Nigerians believed they might be a victim of crime in the next 12 months. In rural areas, 13.0 per cent of the population believed they could be victims of crime and 7.0 per cent in urban areas.

The report revealed that security agencies’ average response time to emergencies was a key indicator of effective crime prevention. Nationally, 33.1 per cent reported that the average response time to an emergency call by security agencies is less than 30 minutes.

About four out of 10 households had at least one interaction with state or local security forces within the reference period. Also, one out of two households had contact with the police, and 25.7 per cent reported the incidence of crime to the police after experiencing a crime.

The report showed that satisfaction with police responses was notably low, particularly for crimes including livestock theft at 42.9 per cent and crop theft at 42.4 per cent. It said in rural areas, many households relied on local vigilante groups.

(NAN)