A recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics has revealed that a staggering 25.35 million phone theft cases in Nigeria between May 2023 and April 2024.
This narrative makes phone theft the most common type of crime in Nigeria during festive period.
The report, which is based on the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, provides insight into the prevalence and characteristics of phone theft in Nigeria.
Most phone theft cases occurred either at home (35%) or in public places (35.3%).
On reporting and recovery, despite 90% of phone theft cases being reported to the police, only 11.7% of stolen phones were recovered.
The Demographics records showed that males were more affected, with 16.9 million experiencing phone theft, compared to females. Individuals aged 45-54 years were most affected, while those aged 15-24 years were least affected.
The North-West region had the highest incidence of crime, with 14.4 million cases reported, followed by the North-Central region. The South-East region reported the least crime.
Rural areas were more affected by crime, with 26.53 million incidents, compared to 25.36 million in urban areas.
On effectiveness of security agencies, it was observed that only 33.1% of Nigerians reported that security agencies responded to emergency calls within 30 minutes.
Satisfaction with police responses was notably low, especially in cases of livestock and crop theft.
The report highlights the need for increased efforts to address phone theft and other forms of crime in Nigeria. It also emphasizes the importance of improving the effectiveness of security agencies in responding to emergency calls and addressing the needs of victims of crime.
Credit: Punch
