Nigeria: crime and justice

How many people are in prison in Nigeria?

Nigeria's custodial centres held 81,710 inmates in the second quarter of 2025, up 16.82% from 69,946 in 2017, according to the NBS Nigerian Correctional Service statistics. Of these, 53,790 were awaiting trial or had not been sentenced. Total capacity was 65,035.

The figures come from the Nigerian Correctional Service and are compiled by the NBS. Inmates awaiting trial make up about two-thirds of the total, reflecting delays in court cases. The report also gives inmate numbers and capacity for every state and custodial centre.

Official sources: NBS: Nigerian Correctional Service statistics, 2017 to Q2 2025

Are Nigeria's prisons overcrowded?

Custodial centres in Lagos State held 9,209 inmates against a capacity of 4,167 in the second quarter of 2025, an occupancy rate of 221%, according to the NBS Nigerian Correctional Service statistics. Nationally, 81,710 inmates were held against a capacity of 65,035, an occupancy rate of about 126%.

Ogun (4,939 inmates), Kano (4,667) and Enugu (3,536) had the next largest inmate populations. National capacity rose 20.99% between 2017 and the second quarter of 2025, while the inmate population rose 16.82%. Occupancy above 100% means more inmates than the places available.

Official sources: NBS: Nigerian Correctional Service statistics, 2017 to Q2 2025

How common is bribery in Nigeria?

27% of Nigerians who had contact with a public official in the previous 12 months paid a bribe, according to the NBS Corruption in Nigeria survey, published in 2024 with data for 2023. Including people asked for a bribe who refused, the rate was 34%. The rate was 29% in 2019 and 31% in 2016.

Bribe-payers paid an average of 5.1 bribes each, and the average cash bribe was ₦8,284. The survey estimated that more than ₦700 billion was paid in cash bribes over the year. It was run by the NBS with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Official sources: NBS: Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends, 2023

Are there official crime statistics for Nigeria?

The most recent official crime statistics on the National Bureau of Statistics site are its "Reported Offences by Type and State" report for 2017, checked on 14 October 2026. No more recent national figures on reported crime were found on the NBS site; the Nigeria Police Force site could not be read.

The 2017 report counts offences reported to the police by type and state. Reported crime depends on whether victims go to the police, so it understates actual crime. The NBS has since published survey-based measures, such as its corruption survey, and statistics on the correctional service.

Official sources: NBS: Crime Statistics: Reported Offences by Type and State (2017) · Nigeria Police Force

How much is Nigeria spending on police and defence in 2026?

Nigeria's 2026 federal budget proposal allocated ₦1.27 trillion for recurrent spending at the Ministry of Police Affairs and ₦2.69 trillion for recurrent spending at the Ministry of Defence, according to the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

Recurrent spending is mostly salaries, allowances and running costs, so most of these amounts pay for police officers and military personnel. Capital spending on equipment and buildings is listed separately in the bill. The figures are from the bill as proposed and may differ from the signed Appropriation Act.

Official sources: Budget Office: 2026 Appropriation Bill (PDF)

What is the murder rate in Nigeria?

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime puts the intentional homicide rate in Nigeria at 15.7 per 100,000 in 2023. World rank, highest first: 15th of 79.

How many women are killed in Nigeria?

6.5 per 100,000: that is the homicide rate for women in Nigeria for 2023, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Of 78 countries with 2023 data, 11th highest.

How many men are murdered in Nigeria?

The latest figure from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for 2023, is 24.4 per 100,000. Worldwide: 16th of 78.

How many people have been killed in fighting in Nigeria?

The Uppsala Conflict Data Program puts battle-related deaths in Nigeria at 1,486 in 2024. Since 2009 it has ranged from 325 (2011) to 4,637 (2015). Sub-Saharan Africa median: 164; Nigeria is 5th highest of 20. Worldwide: 12th of 41.