This alarming data was given at the 2025 Annual Lecture and Awards of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria held in Lagos.

Security experts who addressed the gathering said the casualty fig­ures only scratch the surface of a deeper and more complex crisis that demands urgent technological reforms.

Engineer Mustapha Kazeem Lusty, Chairman of Kontz Engi­neering Limited, warned that the death toll is still rising and that Nigeria risks losing more citizens if the country continues to rely on outdated methods.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Har­nessing Technological Innovations for Crime Prevention and Control in Nigeria,’ he revealed additional sta­tistics showing that more than 5,400 Nigerians were abducted within the same six months’ period.

“In March 2025 alone, the country recorded 179 deaths, 115 injuries and 217 kidnappings in just two weeks.”

He referenced national conflict monitoring databases indicating that armed bandits accounted for nearly seventy five percent of all kidnapping victims in 2024.

He also cited National Bureau of Statistics data which documented over fifty one million criminal in­cidents between 2023 and 2024 and estimated ransom payments at more than N2 trillion.

Lusty noted that the scale of in­security has eroded public trust in state institutions and pushed many communities towards self-help. He called for a total rethinking of the na­tion’s security architecture through modern tools capable of detecting threats, analyzing patterns and sup­porting rapid response.

His recommendations included artificial intelligence based on ear­ly warning systems, national vision and monitoring centres, digital plat­forms for community reporting, sur­veillance drones, body worn camer­as, secure communication channels and stronger tracking of financial crimes.

He added that improved forensic capacity, locally developed security technologies, real time intelligence sharing and transparent public re­porting would strengthen national defence in sustainable ways.

Also speaking at the event, se­curity consultant and Chairman of Strict Guard, Dr. Bone Efoziem Chinye, focused on Nigeria’s border vulnerabilities, which he described as a major contributor to the rise in armed groups and criminal net­works. He observed that most threats enter the country through unmon­itored land routes rather than air­ports and seaports.

According to him, many villages near the borders serve as informal access points that security oper­atives cannot adequately patrol. He explained that no number of officers can manually monitor the thousands of bush paths, waterways and rural crossings that criminals exploit daily.

Efoziem noted that armed crim­inals who move across the borders often possess superior equipment, including night vision devices and combat grade weapons, placing Nigerian security forces at a dis­advantage. He stressed that only technology can close these gaps and recommended the deployment of advanced surveillance tools, re­mote sensors, aerial monitoring machines and community intelli­gence platforms that allow residents to anonymously report suspicious activity.

He emphasised that securing the borders is essential to reducing the inflow of illegal weapons, drugs and extremist groups.

The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Akeem Osuolale, represented by legal practitioner, Olayinka Sanni, delivered a firm critique of Nigeria’s security operations, arguing that the country continues to deploy large numbers of personnel for tasks bet­ter handled through technology. He said the world has already embraced automated surveillance, data driven threat analysis and digital command systems, while Nigeria remains heavily reliant on manual processes.

According to him, the country’s intelligence cycle is weak and slow, with important information some­times failing to reach the right offi­cers before crimes occur. He cited an ignored intelligence alert from the previous week as evidence of sys­temic failure.

Osuolale said many of the tools capable of resolving Nigeria’s secu­rity problems already exist and only need proper adoption. He called for enhanced funding, stronger train­ing and a shift towards innovative, technologically driven policing. He insisted that effective nations do not rely on large numbers of officers on the streets but on smart deploy­ment and coordinated intelligence networks informed by technology.

One of the most striking contri­butions at the event came from the Jagunmolu of Somolu and Bariga Kingdom, Oba Gbolahan Akanbi Timson, who raised concerns about licensed firearms seized from lawful owners.

He claimed that weapons confis­cated due to an executive order were not properly documented, destroyed or returned and that many have re­appeared in the hands of criminals. He described the movement of the seized firearms from local police divisions to state commands, then to Abuja, as unclear and troubling.

According to him, these guns were not taken because they were used for crime but simply because of a government directive, yet today some of them are being used by in­dividuals who never purchased or legally owned them.

The royal father urged crime reporters to investigate the fate of the seized weapons, warning that diverted licensed arms are worsen­ing insecurity in Lagos and parts of the South West. He said that once weapons surrendered in good faith begin to circulate among criminal groups, communities are placed at extreme risk and law enforcement loses credibility.

In his welcome address, the Pres­ident of the Crime Reporters Asso­ciation of Nigeria (CRAN), Olalekan Olabulo, reflected on the organi­sation’s commitment to national security over the past 30 years. He emphasised that technology is now central to crime prevention and that Nigerian security agencies must adapt quickly to respond to the evolv­ing nature of criminal activity. He explained that modern policing re­lies heavily on digital surveillance, forensic science, data analysis and interagency cooperation.

Olabulo urged government agen­cies to pool intelligence, invest in ad­vanced crime fighting systems and develop strategies that align with global best practices. He stressed that the fight against violent crime requires collective effort and the readiness of security agencies to adopt emerging technologies. He added that Nigeria cannot continue losing its officers and citizens when more effective tools exist.

The discussions at the CRAN lecture revealed one consistent message. Nigeria is confronting a security crisis that demands more than traditional methods. The statistics are sobering; the expert assessments are dire and the need for reform is urgent. The deaths recorded within six months reflect a larger failure of preparedness, coordination and modernisation. Yet the experts agree that with the right investments in technology, intelligence sharing and strategic deployment, Nigeria can restore safety and stability.