By: Bayero Ade
The Department of State Services (DSS) has interrogated Adeniran Adeyemi, the Statistician-General of the Federation, following the publication of a contentious report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on ransom payments in Nigeria.
The report, titled Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, estimated that Nigerians paid a staggering N2.23 trillion in ransom to kidnappers between May 2023 and April 2024. According to the survey, 65% of households affected by kidnappings resorted to paying ransoms, with an average ransom of N2.67 million per incident.
Additionally, the report disclosed that over 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded nationwide within the same period, with the North-West region reporting the highest number of cases at 14.4 million.
Sources revealed that the DSS is closely examining the methodology and data behind the report, which has generated significant national and international debate. The agency seeks to verify the accuracy and credibility of the findings, which have drawn attention to the alarming scale of criminal activity and its economic implications under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Contrary to earlier reports of an arrest, insiders at the NBS clarified that Adeyemi was not detained but invited for questioning, which he promptly honored. “The Statistician-General wasn’t arrested. Although the report has faced criticism from certain authorities, the DSS only invited him for clarification, and he was released the same day,” a source disclosed to Business Day.
The report has added to the growing discourse on Nigeria’s security challenges and the government’s efforts to address them. It also highlights the economic strain on households as a result of rising insecurity, further raising questions about the effectiveness of current strategies to combat crime.
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