Metro

Nigerians Paid N2.23tn As Ransom In 12 Months – NBS

Published

6 months ago

December 17, 2024

The National Bureau of Statistics has revealed that Nigerians paid a total of N2.23tn as ransom over the 12 months between May 2023 and April 2024.

This sum was paid by households affected by kidnapping incidents, highlighting the growing threat posed by criminal activities in the country.

According to the NBS’s latest Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report, an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households in the reference period.

The survey showed that the North-West region had the highest incidence of crime, with 14.4 million cases reported, followed by the North-Central region with 8.8 million incidents.

In contrast, the South-East region reported the least crime, with 6.18 million incidents.

The findings also revealed that rural areas were more affected by crime than urban areas, with 26.53 million crime incidents in rural households compared to 25.36 million in urban areas.

The report highlighted the severity of kidnapping, with 4.14 million households experiencing home robbery.

Of those affected by kidnappings, 65 per cent were forced to pay ransom to secure the release of victims.

The average ransom paid was N2.67m, contributing to the total of N2.23tn paid by Nigerians to criminals during the 12 months.

Despite this, only 36.3 per cent of those who experienced home robbery reported the incidents to the police, with a similarly low reporting rate for kidnapping.

The report read, “Nationally, an estimated 51,887,032 crime incidences were experienced by households. The North-West (14,402,254) reported the highest incidences of crime at the household level, followed by the North-Central (8,771,400), while the South-East (6,176,031) reported the least. The result also shows that the crime incidence in the rural area (26,526,069) was higher than that of the urban area (25,360,963).

“In Nigeria, 4,142,174 households experienced home robbery. Less than half (36.3 per cent) of the households who were victims of home robbery reported their experience to the police. Among households that experienced kidnapping incidents, 65.0 per cent paid a ransom.

“The average amount paid as ransom was N2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of N2,231,772,563,507 paid within the reference period.”

Many victims cited a lack of confidence in law enforcement and a belief that police intervention would not lead to meaningful action as the main reasons for not reporting.

The survey also revealed that 21.4 per cent of Nigerians fell victim to crime at the individual level, with phone theft being the most common crime, affecting 13.8 per cent of the population.

While 90 per cent of phone theft victims reported the crimes to the police, only half of those victims were satisfied with the police response.

Also, the survey estimated that 1.4 million Nigerians were victims of sexual offences, with most incidents occurring in someone else’s home or the victim’s residence.

Only about 22.7 per cent of sexual offence victims reported the crimes to the police.

Despite the widespread nature of crime, public perception of safety remains low.

The survey found that 9.6 per cent of Nigerians believed they were at risk of becoming victims of crime within the next 12 months.

The fear of crime was higher in rural areas, where 13 per cent of the population felt vulnerable, compared to 7 per cent in urban areas.

The report also questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s security agencies, particularly the police, in responding to emergencies.

Only 33.1 per cent of Nigerians reported that security agencies responded to emergency calls within 30 minutes.

The survey revealed that approximately 4 out of 10 households interacted with state or local security forces during the survey period, with half of these households contacting the Nigerian Police.

However, satisfaction with police responses was notably low, especially in cases of livestock and crop theft, where only 42.9 per cent and 42.4 per cent of victims expressed satisfaction, respectively.

In many rural areas, local vigilante groups were seen as a more reliable source of security.
PUNCH

Metro

NAPTIP Declares Speed Darlington Wanted For Tape, Cyberbullying

Published

9 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has declared Nigerian entertainer, Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington, wanted in connection with alleged offences including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.

NAPTIP made this known via its official Instagram handle @officialnaptip on Friday afternoon.

It read, “WANTED BY NAPTIP. Darlington Okoye, aka Speed Darlington, is wanted in connection with alleged offences including rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.

“Anyone with credible information on his whereabouts is urged to contact NAPTIP immediately. Call: 07030000203, info@naptip.gov.ng.”

The notice comes a month after Okoye failed to honour the agency’s invitation for questioning over his claim of having sex with a 15-year-old girl during a live Instagram video.

NAPTIP had summoned Okoye over his statement in a now-viral Instagram video.

A letter, signed by the agency’s Head of Cybercrime Response Team, Ngamaraju Mangzha, was addressed to Okoye on May 28, 2025.

It asked the singer to appear at its Abuja head office at 09:00 a.m. on May 30, 2025.

However, our correspondent who visited the agency’s headquarters at the time confirmed that the singer did not show up at NAPTIP’s Wuse Zone 5 office.

Later, NAPTIP said it received an official response from Okoye, who claimed he could not visit. He insisted on appearing on June 26.

In his response, Okoye said, “Hello, I will not be able to come in today. This is very sudden and urgent for me. I already have commitments and responsibilities.

“I suggest you reschedule for next month, June 26. I will be in Abuja that day.”

It was observed at NAPTIP’s headquarters on June 26, observed that the singer failed to appear.

NAPTIP replied in a letter signed by its Director of Information and Communications Technology & Coordinator, Cybercrime Response Team, Hakeem Lawal.

Lawal wrote, “The Agency wishes to state that the invitation was sent to you on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, giving you sufficient time to prepare and appear as indicated.

“Moreover, the issue at hand is of urgent National importance and requires an urgent response.”

He continued, “As such, NAPTIP will not be able to work with your schedule as stated in your response.

“However, you are further given till Monday, June 2, 2025, at 1:00 pm, to appear in person at the NAPTIP’s Headquarters: 2028, Dalaba Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, FCT, Abuja, for the interview.”

Lawal added, “Please, as stated in our earlier correspondence, your cooperation is very critical in this matter.”

However, The PUNCH observed that Okoye did not appear for questioning that Monday.

The singer sparked outrage on Children’s Day after a livestream where he claimed he had once slept with a 15-year-old virgin. The clip quickly went viral, triggering widespread outrage from viewers and women’s-rights groups who accused him of confessing to statutory rape.

Within 24 hours, the backlash drew official attention as the Lagos State government reported the matter to NAPTIP, which summoned Okoye for questioning.

The summon letter read, “We write to formally invite you to appear before the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons in respect of certain video materials recently circulated online, including but not limited to a particular Instagram video wherein you allegedly made statements admitting to having engaged in sexual acts with an underage girl.”

It continued, “Additional archived videos, now in circulation, similarly contain admissions and degrading commentary concerning minors. These actions, if substantiated, constitute offences under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015, Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.”

The letter further stated, “⁠You are hereby invited to appear in person for an interview as regards the alleged actions on Friday, May 30, 2025, by 9 a.m. at the NAPTIP Headquarters: 2028 Dalaba Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, FCT.”

It added, “Kindly bring along any legal representation or documents you may consider relevant. Please be informed that your cooperation is critical to ensuring a fair and thorough inquiry into the matter.”

NAPTIP warned, “Failure to honour this invitation may result in further legal action.”

Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose, also told journalists that the girl mentioned in the video intends to file a formal complaint with the police.

Facing mounting pressure, Speed Darlington released follow-up posts insisting the “confession” was a publicity stunt to promote new music, saying bluntly, “I need controversy to eat.”

In another post, he labelled the video “a prank.” Yet the about-face did little to calm critics, many of whom argued that joking about child sexual abuse is itself harmful.

An official who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said legal actions appear probable as the singer has missed two appointments. The official also stated that while NAPTIP is still weighing its options, it will not accept Okoye’s proposed June 26 date.

“He has responded on two occasions, giving reasons for not coming. We will not work with his timing; we will soon come out with our position on this. No one is free in the eyes of the law,” the official said.

Another official explained, “NAPTIP wrote to him, inviting him. First time, he replied that we should give him till June 26. He wrote to us, ‘Look, I cannot come because of this and that.’ The agency wrote back again to him that this issue is a matter of national importance that requires urgency.”

The Official continued, “The Agency will not work with your schedule. He replied again that he will insist on sticking to that date. Now, the agency is studying the situation.

“When we are making a decision like that, we usually consult with the relevant departments. And taking into consideration the legal implications of our action.

“Don’t forget, even if we say we are taking him to court, they’ve been on strike, they just called it off. So, we are considering our options. But the management is reviewing his response so that we can take a very informed decision.”

When asked if measures were in place to prevent Okoye from fleeing the country, NAPTIP’s Chief Press Officer, Mr Vincent Adekoye, said the agency is “working with all sister agencies” to ensure his appearance in Abuja.

“NAPTIP is a proactive agency. We have activated the necessary partnership on this. We are collaborating with sister law enforcement agencies.

“NAPTIP is exploring all elements to ensure that he comes to answer for what he said. We are not taking chances. We are working with all state and non-state actors on this matter,” Adekoye stated.

In an earlier interview, Adekoye said NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Bello, was deeply concerned about Okoye’s claims.

“We are concerned. Our DG is seriously concerned. She’s monitoring the situation by the hour. Why? It’s an issue that borders on a minor, the human rights of the minor, and sexual abuse. Anything could have happened to that girl.

“He was not under duress. It was an admission. Look at what he released yesterday: a video saying that if he had known that this 15-year-old would generate this, he would have gone for a 12-year-old,” he explained.
(PUNCH)

Metro

14 Chinese Jailed For Cyberterrorism, Internet Fraud In Lagos

Published

9 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday sentenced 14 Chinese nationals to one year imprisonment each for cyberterrorism and internet fraud.

Justice Daniel Osiagor delivered the judgment after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission informed the court that the convicts had entered a plea bargain agreement with the prosecution.

EFCC counsel, Spiff Owede and Temitope Banjo, urged the court to adopt the agreement, and the convicts subsequently changed their initial “not guilty” pleas to “guilty.”

The convicted are: Su Zong Gen, Li Zhong Chang, Chen Gui Ping, Li Xiang Long, San Feng Zhang, Jia Yang, Jia Zhi Hao, Liu Chuang, Yu Hai Ging, Zhao Xiao Liang, Dai Li, Tao Kun, Mao Bu Yi, and Zhao Zi Cheng.

They were arrested on December 19, 2024, during a sting operation in Lagos codenamed “Eagle Flush Operation,” which led to the apprehension of 792 suspected members of a cybercrime syndicate involved in cryptocurrency investment and romance scams.

Each of the convicts was charged separately with offences bordering on cyberterrorism and internet fraud.

EFCC, told the court that Su Zong Gen, sometime in December 2024 in Lagos, willfully caused to be accessed computer system for the purpose of destabilizing and destroying the economy and social structure of Nigeria.

According to the prosecutor the offences committed contravend Section 18 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).

Following their guilty pleas, the prosecution asked the court to convict them accordingly.

But the defence counsel, Segun Bello, did not oppose the request.

Justice Osiagor sentenced each defendant to one year in prison with an option of a N1m, fine.

The court further ordered that all items recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Upon completion of their jail terms, the judge directed the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service to ensure their deportation to China within seven days.

Metro

Flood Sweeps Off 7-yr-old Boy, Properties In Niger

Published

13 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

Less than one month after the devastating Mokwa flood that claimed over 200 lives and damaged valuables, another flood has occurred in Bida, headquarters of Bida Local Government Area of Niger state.

Also, this is less than two weeks after buildings, bridges and culverts were swept off in same town.

The latest flood occurred after a downpour that lasted for three hours in the morning on Thursday morning.

Seven-year-old Mohammed Mohammed of Nasarafu ward, who was sent to a neighbourhood immediately after the rain, was swept off by flood.

Efforts by passers by and neighbours to rescue him proved abortive, as nobody could risk jumping into the flood.

His father, Mohammed Usman, told newsmen that his son’s body was yet to be recovered.

He said: “The incident is an act of God. But my pain is that up to this moment, my son’s corpse is yet to be found.

“Immediately the rain stopped, the entire community embarked on a search-and-rescue mission, but unfortunately, we are yet to get the corpse,” Malam Usman lamented.

Recall that on Saturday 14th June, a similar flood occurred in Bida. It led to the collapse of some buildings, a bridge, culvert and some business premises.

Contacted, the spokesperson of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, Hussaini Ibrahim, confirmed the incident, but did not give details.

He said: “The Agency is presently conducting an assessment of the incident. After the findings, the state government will respond accordingly.”