A report by the African Institute for Crime, Policy and Governance Research (AFRICPGR) about violent crime statistics covering the period of seven years, from 2011 to 2018, shows that the rate at which people are murdered in the country dropped significantly in 2018.

The report pegs the murder rate in 2018 at 1.7 per 100,000 as against 2.1/1000 in 2017, 1.9/1000 in 2016 and other higher rates in the previous years under review.

It also shows that robbery rate is the highest in 2018, pegging the rate at 6.5 robberies per 100,000 population in 2018, 6.1/1000 in 2017, 4.9/1000 in 2016 and lower rates in the previous years under review.

A key observation is that the two elections years covered, in 2012 and 2016, both recorded an increase in robbery rates.

The publication of the report comes at a time where there is a seeming frequency of murder cases, the most recent one being the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale.

These occurrences have sparked a debate between the government and the opposition NDC as to whether the country is currently in a state of insecurity.

While the opposition party argues that the country is in a state of insecurity, making reference to at least four murder cases in 2019, the government disagrees.

But the report, which focused on murders and robberies as these have dominated the concerns about increased insecurity, suggests mixed perceptions.

“In conclusion, do Ghanaians have grounds to feel a sense of insecurity? Our answer, based on our analysis of two violent crimes, is mixed: Ghana is experiencing its highest rate of robberies in 7 years. However, it also has its lowest murder rate during the same period. Thus, any feelings of insecurity are likely to be driven by robberies than murders,” the report concludes.