Nigeria recorded 2,854 phone thefts per hour between May 2023 and April 2024, highlighting growing security risks amid increasing dependence on mobile technology.

This was revealed in the National Bureau of Statistics ‘Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS),’ which provided a detailed analysis of crime trends over the 12-month period. The report revealed 51.89 million crime incidents affecting households during the timeframe, with phone theft being the most prevalent individual crime. It had a prevalence rate of 13.8 percent and was estimated at 25 million cases in the reference period.

“The number of crimes experienced by individuals in Nigeria was analysed over a period of time. The results show that theft of phones (25,354,417) was the most common crime experienced by individuals, followed by consumer fraud (12,107,210) and assault (8,453,258). However, hijacking of cars (333,349) was the least crime experienced by individuals within the reference period,” NBS said.

Phones, especially smartphones, are major pathways to digital inclusion for many Nigerians. As of April 2024, there were 216.66 million active lines in the country, and about two?thirds of individuals aged 10 years and older have access to mobile phones, according to the NBS.

With the world becoming increasingly digital, phones serve more than communication purposes. They serve as mini banks and the gateway into the lives of many individuals, making their theft concerning.

In the review period, the NBS reported that 17.97 million Nigerians fell victim to phone theft. Among them was Dorcas Oluwaseyi, whose phone was stolen during a ride in a one-chance bus. “They grabbed my bag, took my purse with my phone, and took my ATM cards.”

Her first port of call was her bank to block her accounts. Tobi Adejimi, another victim of phone theft, noted that after blocking his account, he had to pay N5,000 to file a complaint at the police station. On social media platforms like X, Nigerians frequently share stories of robbery and phone theft, underscoring the prevalence of the crime.

Every day on X, young Nigerians tweet about their robbery experiences, and while there hasn’t been verifiable data to draw numbers from, the frequency has been alarming.

According to the NBS, seven out of 10 phone thefts occurred at home or in a public place. Although 90 percent of phone thefts were reported to the police, only 11.7 percent were recovered. Phone theft adds to the burdens faced by Nigerians grappling with the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

In 2023, Nigeria abolished its fuel subsidy regime and unified its foreign exchange market, triggering a chain reaction of record-high inflation.

Smartphone prices surged by as much as 86 percent between 2022 and 2023. Adeolu Ogunbanjo, national president of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), emphasised the need for stronger measures to protect phone users. He urged subscribers to familiarise themselves with their phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number for easier tracking.

“There is a need for subscribers to know the IMEI of their phones. Anyone can use *#606# to get this. The process should be simplified in such a way that either the DPO or the area command, because of the sensitivity of the situation, should be able to handle such cases,” he said.

The Nigerian Communications Commission recently introduced a Device Management System to combat phone theft. This system will serve as a repository of all registered mobile phones’ IMEIs, allowing operators to track and block stolen devices.

Explaining what the DMS will do, the NCC stated, “To mitigate the use of stolen phones for crime and facilitate blocking or tracing of stolen mobile phones and other smart devices, one of the means to achieve this is through the deployment of Device Management System.” (BusinessDay)