Nigerians Share the Costly Reality of Reporting Crimes to the Police

Reporting a crime should be simple: make a statement, provide evidence and expect an investigation. But several Nigerians say their experiences with the police were marked by demands for money, abandoned cases and little meaningful follow-up. One person said officers demanded ₦110,000 over a family dispute before closing the case after the accused person allegedly paid them. A supermarket owner who was robbed in May 2025 said officers repeatedly requested money to “mobilise” despite receiving CCTV footage. Another victim said police demanded ₦23,000 in fees after his phone was stolen, with further payments expected as the case continued. Others described being asked to pay for statement files, paper, fuel and phone tracking. A man who lost ₦300,000 to a scam said police quoted ₦500,000 to track the suspect. One robbery victim said he tracked his stolen phone himself after officers told him to leave the matter to God, only to discover the suspects had allegedly been alerted. Not every report ended badly. One respondent said police summoned the man who assaulted his mother and ensured he paid for her treatment. Still, the accounts raise serious questions about access to justice and the cost of reporting crime in Nigeria.

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