Crime in Niger

In Niamey, common risks include theft, robbery, burglary, pickpocketing and vehicle theft, especially involving 4x4 vehicles. Higher-risk locations and situations include the Gaweye Hotel area, the National Museum, Petit Marché, ATM and bank exits, poorly lit streets and travel at night. Outside Niamey, banditry, smuggling, kidnapping and armed attacks are especially relevant in Maradi, Tillabéri and Diffa, near the borders with Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Libya. The Tahoua–Agadez and Agadez–Arlit corridors have experienced attacks, including incidents with deaths. Kidnapping can be carried out by criminal networks or armed groups, including JNIM, ISSP and Boko Haram or ISWAP. Attacks are particularly frequent in parts of Diffa and Tillabéri. Reduce exposure by moving in daylight where possible, avoiding predictable travel patterns and checking current advice from local authorities and reliable media. Do not cross Niger bridges on foot when security conditions make that unsafe. Avoid crowds, markets, major traffic points, hotels, restaurants, religious sites, camps and national parks when warnings indicate increased risk. Do not use ATMs at night; a hotel ATM can be a safer choice when available. Keep passports, phones and other valuables out of sight, lock vehicle doors and avoid crossing a border after dark. Outside Niamey, security or military escort arrangements are prescribed for travel in areas where the security situation requires them. Check for sudden checkpoints, road closures and interruptions to communications or basic services before departure. The Police Nationale provides general urban security and criminal investigation. The Direction Générale de la Police Nationale (DGPN) includes the Police judiciaire (DPJ), which investigates and records offenses under judicial supervision. The Division de la Cybercriminalité handles online crime matters, and the Division de la Protection des Mineurs et des Femmes (DPMF) focuses on the protection of children and women. The Garde Nationale, under the Ministère de l’Intérieur, has a stronger role in rural and pastoral areas, territorial surveillance, protection and public order. A verified nationwide emergency number for the gendarmerie was not identified. For urgent police assistance, call 17 or 83 83, or contact the nearest police station. Ask for a police report and request an English-speaking officer, a female officer or an interpreter when needed. For a sexual offense, report as soon as possible and, where relevant, before leaving Niger. Preserve clothing, messages, objects, payment records and device data that may help establish what happened. No published nationwide standard deadline, reporting fee or case-tracking service was identified in the available information, and access to police services is more limited in remote areas. Gender-based violence (GBV), also called VBG in French-language services, includes sexual violence, rape, domestic violence, psychological violence and the withholding of resources. Family pressure, stigma, distance, fear and informal settlements can discourage a formal complaint or lead to its withdrawal. Community protection and referral structures can provide practical support, but they do not replace emergency reporting or medical and psychosocial care. SOS Femmes et Enfants Victimes de Violences Familiales (SOS FEVVF) can be reached at +227 86 06 06 06. It is described as free and available 24 hours a day, with shelter, advice and coordination with police, hospitals and justice services. FABA can be reached at 3333 free of charge and anonymously, 24 hours a day; it also offers WhatsApp and an offline application with referrals to legal, medical and psychosocial centres. These services are concentrated mainly in Niamey and registered centres, so regional availability should be checked. The Ministère de la Justice, DGDH-PJJ-AS, the Direction de l’Action Sociale and the Agence Nationale d’Assistance Juridique et Judiciaire are relevant public legal-support bodies. Free legal aid may be available to people who prove financial need. Child victims appearing before a criminal court can receive court-appointed assistance. Digital crime includes online fraud, identity or account misuse, extortion and exploitation through social media. Loi 2019-33 is a relevant Nigerien cybercrime reference, and the Police Nationale identifies cybercrime prevention and investigation as part of its mandate. Save screenshots, URLs, telephone numbers, account statements, wallet details and transaction records. Keep affected devices and files unchanged where possible, and use the general police numbers 17 or 83 83 because no separate verified nationwide cybercrime email reporting platform was identified. Children face heightened crime and protection risks in conflict and displacement areas, including kidnapping, recruitment or use by armed groups, gender-based violence, separation and exploitation. Child trafficking can involve talibés, some as young as six, being forced to beg under quotas or punishment. Confiage, a trust-based placement of a child with another household, can lead to forced labour or sexual exploitation when safeguards fail. Reported exploitation also includes mining, agriculture, domestic work, street selling and construction. Girls face sex-trafficking risks near the Nigerian border and along the Birni N’Konni–Zinder corridor. Wahaya practices can involve forced labour and sexual exploitation, while child marriage remains widespread; a cited TIP profile reports 76% of girls married before 18 and 28% before 15. The DPMF and 106 protection brigades were reported as structures in 2021, but their current nationwide availability has not been verified. UNICEF and partner programmes use Child Protection Village Committees, case management, support for unaccompanied and separated children, psychosocial assistance and GBV referrals in areas including Maradi, Diffa and Tillabéri. Public national crime statistics are fragmented. The INS EHCVM 2021–2022 survey records experiences such as assault, reporting and non-reporting, and trust in the police, gendarmerie, community leaders and religious leaders, but the published catalogue does not provide aggregated results for all crime categories. A registered case count therefore cannot be treated as the true prevalence of crime. Current information is most consequential for kidnapping, armed robbery and banditry, everyday theft in Niamey, gender-based violence, child trafficking, conflict-related crime, cyber fraud and border or transport security.