December 18, 2024/NBS
According to the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households between May 2023 and April 2024. The report revealed that the North-West region recorded the highest number of crime incidents, with 14.4 million cases, followed by the North-Central region with 8.8 million cases. In contrast, the South-East reported the lowest incidence of crime, with 6.18 million cases.
The findings further indicated that rural areas were more affected by crime than urban areas, with 26.53 million incidents occurring in rural households compared to 25.36 million incidents in urban areas. The survey also underscored the severity of kidnapping in Nigeria, reporting that 4.14 million households experienced home robbery. Additionally, Nigerians paid a staggering N2.23 trillion in ransom between May 2023 and April 2024.
The Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) seeks to bridge gaps in governance statistics by gathering critical data through interviews with households and individuals. This baseline survey examines crime experience and security perception over a twelve-month period, from May 2023 to April 2024. Crime experience refers to an individual’s direct exposure to criminal activities, such as being a victim of theft, assault, vandalism, or other unlawful acts.
It also includes instances of personally witnessing or being involved in criminal behaviour. Security perception on the other hand relates to an individual’s subjective assessment of their safety and the security of their environment. It covers perceptions of risk,
fear of crime, trust in law enforcement, and confidence in security measures.
Nigeria’s security situation has steadily deteriorated in recent years, with banditry, herdsmen attacks, kidnapping, insurgency, terrorism, and other social crimes spreading across all parts of the country. This heightened insecurity has had severe negative impacts on investment flows and the food supply chain. The ongoing security crisis has particularly hampered food production, stalling growth in the agricultural sector.
While issues like climate change and environmental degradation also contribute to reduced productivity, insecurity remains the most pressing challenge for the sector. Farmers, including those in the southern regions, continue to report frequent attacks on their farms by herdsmen. Tragically, many farmers have been killed while attempting to prevent herdsmen from destroying their crops, leaving others too fearful to work their land.
Addressing insecurity in Nigeria requires a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach that tackles both its symptoms and underlying causes. The government must prioritize strengthening security forces by equipping the military, police, and other agencies with modern weapons, advanced surveillance technologies such as drones and satellites, and efficient communication tools to combat crime and insurgency effectively.
Equally important is addressing economic hardships by creating sustainable employment opportunities, particularly for the youth, who are often vulnerable to recruitment by criminal groups and insurgents. Moreover, the government should ensure the swift prosecution of perpetrators involved in violence, kidnapping, and other crimes to establish accountability and deter future criminal activity.
