A new report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed a staggering 25.35 million cases of phone theft across Nigeria between May 2023 and April 2024. The data highlights that phone theft was the most prevalent crime during this period, affecting millions of Nigerians.
The NBS report, titled the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, revealed that phone theft accounted for 13.8% of all crimes experienced in the country, making it the most common crime. Consumer fraud, with 12.1 million cases, and assault, with 8.45 million cases, followed closely.
“Phone theft is the most common individual crime experienced with a prevalence rate of 13.8 per cent and estimated at 25 million cases in the reference period,” the report stated.
The survey further noted that most incidents of phone theft occurred either at home or in public spaces. Despite 90% of victims reporting the crimes to the police, only 11.7% of stolen phones were successfully recovered.
While many Nigerians took the step of reporting phone theft, satisfaction with police responses was mixed. The report noted that 50% of individuals expressed satisfaction with how the police handled their cases, but the low recovery rate left many frustrated.
The report also indicated that 17.97 million Nigerians were victims of phone theft within the year, with 16.9 million of these victims being male. Additionally, around 4% of affected individuals experienced multiple instances of phone theft.
The NBS estimated a total of 55.16 million individual crime incidents during the period, with males accounting for 33.59 million cases and females experiencing 21.58 million. Multiple victimization, or experiencing more than one crime, was more common among men (6.6%) than women (3.7%).
Further analysis by age groups revealed that individuals aged 45-54 were the most affected by crimes (7.1%), while those aged 15-24 were the least affected (3.4%).
The report highlighted regional differences in crime rates, with the North-West recording the highest number of crimes at 14.4 million, followed by the North-Central with 8.8 million incidents. The South-East region reported the least crime, with 6.18 million cases.
Also Read:
- Phone and Bag Theft Soars in England and Wales
- Bauchi Police Arrest Teenagers for Alleged Theft of 100 Phones and 75 Music Players
Rural areas were hit harder than urban areas, recording 26.53 million crime incidents compared to 25.36 million in urban regions.
The survey also raised concerns about the responsiveness of Nigeria’s security agencies. It revealed that only 33.1% of emergency calls to security agencies were attended to within 30 minutes.
Approximately four in 10 households interacted with state or local security forces, with half of them reaching out to the Nigerian Police. However, satisfaction with police responses was particularly low in cases of livestock and crop theft, with only 42.9% and 42.4% satisfaction rates, respectively.
In rural areas, local vigilante groups were viewed as more reliable than formal security agencies, further emphasizing gaps in law enforcement efficiency.
The report highlights the urgent need for better strategies to tackle crime, improve security responses, and restore public confidence in law enforcement. With phone theft affecting millions of Nigerians and other crimes prevalent across various demographics, enhanced security measures could bring much-needed relief to communities across the country.