Lagos state, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Delta state record the highest number of crime cases, according to the latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
NBS report indicate that the total number of reported criminal offences reached 125,790 in 2016.
Lagos state had the highest total of crime incidents at 45,385, representing 38.08% of the total number, closely followed by FCT Abuja and Delta State with 10.48% or 13,181 and 6.25% or 7,867 cases recorded respectively.
However, Katsina State has the lowest percentage share of total cases reported with 0.10% and 120 cases recorded. Abia and Zamfara States followed closely with 0.29% and 364 and 0.38% and 483 cases recorded respectively.
The report further shows that these offences included those against property which recorded the highest number of cases with 65,397 of such cases reported, Offence against persons recorded 45,554 casesreported while offence against lawful authority and local acts recorded the least with 12,144 and 2,695 cases recorded respectively.
NBS defined that offence against persons are those against human beings for example murder, manslaughter, infanticide, concealment of birth, rape and other physical abuse while offence against properties are those against human belonging, properties of any kind which include stealing, receiving stolen properties, obtaining property by false pretence, robbery, burglary and house breaking.
On the other hand, according to the NBS are those against lawful authority is any offence commitment against any establishment of the law including failure to pay tax, which amounts to an offence against lawful authority and Offences against local acts which are those offences committed against laws that we cannot enforce outside Nigeria.
Cynthia Egboboh, Abuja
