Nigerians Paid N2.23 Trillion in Ransoms Over One Year, NBS Report Reveals

 

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed that between May 2023 and April 2024, Nigerians paid a staggering N2.23 trillion in ransom to kidnappers, underscoring the growing insecurity in the country.

This revelation was contained in the NBS’s latest Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) report, which offers a comprehensive analysis of crime trends across Nigeria.

The CESPS report estimates that Nigerian households experienced 51.89 million crime incidents during the 12-month period. The North-West region accounted for the highest number of cases, with 14.4 million incidents, followed by the North-Central region with 8.8 million. The South-East region reported the lowest, with 6.18 million incidents.

Rural areas were notably more affected than urban centers, recording 26.53 million crime incidents compared to 25.36 million in urban areas.

Kidnapping emerged as one of the most severe crimes during the period, with 4.14 million households reporting incidents of home robbery. Of those affected by kidnapping, 65% were forced to pay ransoms to secure the release of their loved ones.

The average ransom paid by affected households was approximately N2.67 million. This contributed to the total of N2.23 trillion paid by Nigerians to criminals in the 12-month reference period.

Despite the alarming figures, the report highlighted a lack of trust in law enforcement as a significant issue. Only 36.3% of households affected by home robbery reported incidents to the police, while reporting rates for kidnapping incidents were similarly low.

Many victims expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of police intervention, citing a lack of confidence that their cases would lead to meaningful outcomes.

The report also noted:

• Phone Theft: The most common crime, affecting 13.8% of the population. While 90% of victims reported phone thefts to the police, only half were satisfied with the response.
• Sexual Offences: An estimated 1.4 million Nigerians were victims of sexual offences, most occurring in private residences. Only 22.7% of victims reported these incidents to the authorities.
• Individual Crime Exposure: Around 21.4% of Nigerians experienced crime at the individual level.

The report paints a grim picture of insecurity in Nigeria and highlights the urgent need for effective measures to address crime and rebuild public trust in law enforcement. With kidnappings and other violent crimes continuing to rise, the high financial and emotional toll on Nigerians remains a pressing concern.

The findings also underscore the importance of fostering stronger community-police relations and implementing systemic reforms to improve crime prevention and response mechanisms nationwide.