A survey has revealed that over N2.23trn was paid as ransom to kidnappers between May 2023 and April 2024.

The survey by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed Nigerians’ lack of confidence in the police to provide meaningful solutions to kidnapping incidents.

The NBS Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report said of those affected by kidnappings, 65 per cent were forced to pay ransom to secure the release of victims.

It revealed that the country recorded an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents in the reference period.

The report read, “The North-West (14,402,254) reported the highest incidences of crime at the household level, followed by the North-Central (8,771,400), while the 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. Less than half (36.3 per cent) of the households who were victims of home robbery reported their experience to the police.

“Among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0 per cent paid a ransom.

“The average amount paid as ransom was N2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of N2,231,772,563,507 paid within the reference period.”

According to the NBS, an estimated 4.14 million households experienced home robbery in the period under review, and only 36.3 per cent of those who experienced home robbery reported the incidents to the police, with a similarly low reporting rate for kidnapping.

The survey also revealed that 21.4 per cent of Nigerians fell victim to crime at the individual level, with phone theft being the most common crime, affecting 13.8 per cent of the population.

It said 90 per cent of phone theft victims reported the crimes to the police but only half of those victims were satisfied with police response.

In cases of sexual offences, the survey estimated 1.4 million victims with most incidents occurring in someone else’s home or the victim’s residence.

Also, only about 22.7 per cent of sexual offence victims reported the crimes to the police. The survey found that 9.6 per cent of Nigerians believed they were at risk of becoming victims of crime within the next 12 months.

The report also questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s security agencies, particularly the police, in responding to emergencies.

Only 33.1 per cent of Nigerians reported that security agencies responded to emergency calls within 30 minutes.

The survey further noted that approximately four out of 10 households interacted with state or local security forces during the period in view, with half of these households contacting the Nigerian Police.

However, satisfaction with police responses was low, especially in cases of livestock and crop theft, where only 42.9 per cent and 42.4 per cent of victims expressed satisfaction, respectively.

In many rural areas, local vigilante groups were seen as a more reliable source of security.

According to SB Morgen (SBM) Intelligence, no fewer than 7,568 people have been abducted in 1,130 incidents across the country, with Nigeria’s security crisis becoming increasingly complex — “Armed actors exploiting the state’s weakened influence”.

Between June 2023 and July 2024, Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina topped the table as the top states with the highest number of abducted persons, with over 1500 people reportedly killed.

However, the federal government has maintained its stand of winning the war against insurgence and other forms of insecurity ravaging the country

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