The deceased was reportedly kidnapped weeks ago and murdered, but his abductors were said to have concealed his killing in order to negotiate a N50 mllion ransom.
In a memo titled “Secretariat closure for the mourning of the director of administration” APC asked staff to use the period of mourning for sober reflection and prayers for the slain director’s family and loved ones.
“The National Secretary has approved the closure of the National secretariat from all party/work activities with immediate effect till Monday 14th April 2025.
“This decision was made after he had received the news of the sad demise of the Director of Administration Late Hon. AbdulRauf Adekunle Adeniji,” it read.
Records from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that Nigerians paid a total of N2.23tn as ransom over the 12 months between May 2023 and April 2024. This sum was paid by households affected by kidnapping incidents, highlighting the growing threat posed by criminal activities in the country.
According to the NBS’s Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report, an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents were recorded across Nigerian households in the reference period.
The survey showed that the North-West region had the highest incidence of crime, with 14.4 million cases reported, followed by the North-Central region with 8.8 million incidents.
The findings also revealed that rural areas were more affected by crime than urban areas, with 26.53 million crime incidents in rural households compared to 25.36 million in urban areas.
The report highlighted the severity of kidnapping. Of those affected by kidnappings, 65 per cent were forced to pay ransom to secure the release of victims. The average ransom paid was N2.67m, contributing to the total of N2.23tn paid by Nigerians to criminals during the 12 months.