Ola Akinwunmi
A recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that approximately 4.1 million Nigerian households, representing 4.8% of the total, experienced home robberies between May 2023 and April 2024.
The Crimes Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) report showed that the North-West zone recorded the highest number of home robbery cases, with over 1 million incidents, followed by the South-South zone with 811,231 cases. In contrast, the South-West zone had the lowest number of cases, at 378,252.
The survey also highlighted that rural areas were slightly more prone to home robberies, with 5% of households affected, compared to 4.7% in urban areas. Cash or money was the most commonly stolen item, at 65.4%, followed by cell phones and electronic equipment.
Alarmingly, the report revealed that physical force was used in 55.7% of the robberies, while weapons were used in 61.6% of the cases. Knives were the most common weapons used, at 74.7%, followed by guns.
The NBS report also showed that less than half of the households that experienced home robberies reported the incidents to the police, and only 6.1% of those who reported were able to recover their stolen properties.
Tragically, 4.7% of households that experienced home robberies reported that at least one person died due to the robbery incident. The South-West zone reported the fewest incidents of home robberies and no deaths.
