The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that Nigerian households experienced 26.53 million crime incidents in rural areas between May 2023 and April 2024, with a staggering N2.23 trillion paid as ransom during the period.
The Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey revealed a total of 51.89 million crimes nationwide, with the North-West recording the highest cases at 14.4 million, followed by the North-Central with 8.8 million. The South-East reported the lowest with 6.18 million cases.
Among kidnapping victims, 65% paid ransoms, averaging N2.67 million per case, contributing to the total N2.23 trillion paid within the year. The report also highlighted that rural areas recorded higher crime incidences (26.5 million) compared to urban areas (25.3 million).
Furthermore, 4.1 million households faced home robbery incidents, with only 36.3% reporting their experiences to the police.
