The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed alarming data showing that over 25 million phones were stolen in Nigeria between March 2023 and April 2024.
According to the Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey 2024, a staggering 17,965,741 people had their phones stolen during this period.
The report highlights that phone theft remains one of the most prevalent crimes in the country, with seven out of every ten stolen phones taken in homes or public spaces.
Despite the widespread occurrence of this crime, only a small fraction of victims reported the theft to the police—less than 10%. Even more concerning, only 11.7% of those who did report the theft were satisfied with the police response.
The survey further reveals that 21.4% of Nigerians reported being victims of crime, with phone theft being the most common individual offence, affecting 13.8% of the population.
However, the vast majority of victims—over 90%—chose not to report the crime to law enforcement for various reasons.
