The acting Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu has released details of crimes committed across Nigeria for the first quarter of 2019.
He said that 1,071 persons lost their lives in crime-related cases across the country, while no fewer than 685 persons were kidnapped across the country.
The North had the highest murder-related cases, with 767 persons killed from the region alone. The high number was attributed to the banditry and communal violence that has plagued many of the states.
The North-West topped the death list with 436; North-Central came second with 250; while the South-South geopolitical zone recorded 130 deaths during the period under review.
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Of all the states, Zamfara State led with 203 murder, while Kaduna State followed with 112 reported cases, and 90 people in Benue.
On kidnappings, the IGP said 546 or 79.8 per cent of the national total were recorded in the three northern geopolitical zones, with North-West leading with 365 persons.
Zamfara State also took the lead of kidnap rate with 281 victims.
On armed robbery, the police recorded 212 major armed robberies within the period in review. 59.43% of these, representing 130, occurred in the North.