The northern socio-cultural group, Coalition of Northern Group (CNG) has rejected the security report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently released titled, ‘Crime Experienced and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024,’ claiming that between May 2023 and April 2024, 614,937 Nigerians were killed; 2,235,954 kidnapped while an astonishing ₦2.2 trillion paid as ransom.
According to CNG in a statement on Friday by its national coordinator Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, said the report, which seeks to outline crime statistics and security perceptions across Nigeria, presents what it called a misleading portrayal of the north as a region plagued by insurmountable security challenges.
“We categorically reject the report and its findings as flawed, unfounded and a complete fabrication that does not represent the verifiable reality in the north and Nigeria as a whole.
“The NBS report lacks transparency and rigour in its methodological approach. By failing to provide clear, verifiable data collection methods and definitions, the report lacks credibility.
“CNG therefore questions the validity of the survey as it does not explain its sampling framework in sufficient details, raising concerns about representativeness.
“The reported figures, especially those pertaining to the North-west and North-east are disproportionately high and inconsistent with the lived realities of many communities in those regions which have witnessed significant improved security situation just as weeks ago the Nigerian Army destroyed over 22 operational camps of Lakurawa terrorists in Kebbi and Sokoto states,” it stated.
CNG similarly debunks the purported payment of humongous sums as ransom by Nigerians, saying it defies basic logic and common sense.
“How could struggling rural communities ravaged by poverty, amass ₦2.2 trillion for ransoms in just one year? Even global ransom data pales in comparison, rendering this claim not only absurd but malicious,” It said.
CNG also reminds NBS that with all challenges, Nigeria has not been in a full-fledge war situation akin to happenings in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere.
The NBS report had indicated that 614,937 had been killed in just 12 months translating to killing 51,244.75 every month and killing 1,684.76 Nigerians daily.
“Therefore, the NBS figure does not only mischievously fabricate figures but also cast an irreversible stain on the reputation and integrity of the NBS as an institution. This is because Nigeria is never near any of the above countries that should have recorded such a jaw-breaking death toll,” the group said.
It noted rather that the military is winning the war.
“Several notorious bandits like Nasanda Alhaji Karkuzu have been eliminated by security forces. Kidnapping has also dropped to record lows over the past year. These truths debunk the NBS’s exaggerated claims,” It said.