Northern coalition rejects NBS crime report

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), on Friday, criticized the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for its recently released Crime Experienced and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024, describing it as misleading, fabricated, and politically motivated.

NBS recently released a report titled, ‘Crime Experienced and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024,’ claiming that between May 2023 and April 2024, 614,937 Nigerians were killed; 2,235,954 kidnapped, while an astonishing ₦2.2 trillion paid as ransom.

National Coordinator of CNG, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, in a statement, criticised the report for its lack of transparency and rigorous methodology.

Charanchi said: “We categorically reject the report and its findings as a flawed, unfounded, and complete fabrication that does not represent the verifiable reality in the North and Nigeria as a whole.

“The NBS report lacks transparency and rigor in its methodological approach. By failing to provide clear, verifiable data collection methods and definitions, the report comprises its credibility.”

Highlighting the absurdity of the claims, Charanchi noted that it is illogical to suggest impoverished communities could amass ₦2.2 trillion for ransoms within a year. “Even global ransom data doesn’t support such inflated figures, making this claim not just absurd but malicious.”

The CNG emphasized the progress made by security forces in addressing insecurity in Northern Nigeria. Recent successes include the elimination of bandit camps, improved safety along highways like Abuja-Kaduna, and the significant reduction in kidnapping incidents.

He added, “We demand full disclosure of the sources and methodologies behind these figures. Nigerians deserve transparency, not politically motivated fabrications.

“The CNG is dismayed by the report’s attempt to disproportionately highlight the North-West and North-East zones as epicenters of crime, including home robbery, livestock theft, and murder while ignoring the complexity of security issues in other parts of the country, including urban centers in the South, where reports of organized crime, cultism, and cybercrime are equally prevalent.

“The report’s conclusion that over 51 million crime incidents occurred in Nigeria, with the North-West leading at 14.4 million, is not only staggering but also statistically implausible.

“These exaggerated figures cast doubt on the authenticity of the survey, raising the question: was this an attempt to fit preconceived notions rather than reflect actual data?”

The CNG reiterated its commitment to fostering peace and development across Northern Nigeria and called on all stakeholders to prioritize unity and transparency over sensationalism.