Presidency Responds to NBS Crime Report, Claims Insecurity Has Declined

• The Presidency asserted a significant reduction in insecurity, despite NBS data revealing 614,937 murders and over 2.2 million kidnappings
• Special Adviser Daniel Bwala emphasized the government’s commitment to data-driven governance while addressing the CESPS report’s alarming crime statistics

The Presidency has responded to the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), asserting that the nation has experienced a significant reduction in insecurity.

The NBS report, based on surveys conducted from May 2023 to April 2024, revealed alarming figures: 614,937 Nigerians were murdered, 2,235,954 kidnapped, and a total of ₦2.2 trillion paid as ransom, averaging ₦2.7 million per incident.

In reaction, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communications, Barrister Daniel Bwala, emphasized the administration’s commitment to data-driven governance.

He described the CESPS as a groundbreaking initiative promoting transparency in crime statistics and national security efforts.

“The country has seen a drastic decline in cases of kidnapping in the South, armed banditry, and cattle rustling in the North, particularly the North West,” Bwala stated.

He also noted reduced activities by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in the South East.

Bwala highlighted the impact of the recent arrest of Finland-based separatist Simon Ekpa, who had been linked to unrest in the South East.

He further remarked that incidents of school attacks in the North had significantly decreased compared to previous years, crediting these improvements to the administration’s fight against crime.

Amid the release of the CESPS report, the NBS website was hacked. Visitors to the site https://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/ encountered the message “Page Hacked.”

The bureau issued a statement on its official X account, urging the public to disregard any information from the compromised website.

“Our team is actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality. Until then, we advise the public to disregard any messages or reports published on the site,” the statement read.

Efforts are ongoing to address the cyberattack and restore the NBS website’s integrity.