CRIME RATE AND CRIME CONTROL STRATEGIES: THE CASE OF KIDNAPPING IN AKWA IBOM STATE NIGERIA

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study  ……..         ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    1

1.2       Statement of the Problem  ……..         ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    5

1.3       Research Questions                 ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    7

1.4        Objectives of the Study         ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    7

1.5       Statement of Hypotheses        ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    8

1.6       Significance of the Study       ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    8

1.7       Scope and Limitation of the Study    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    9

1.8        Ethnographic survey of the Study Area        ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    9

1.9       Political History and Geographical Realities ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    10

1.10     Contemporary Socio-Economic Conditions   ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    11

1.11     Definition of Key Concepts   ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    13

CHAPTER TWO:  LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       Sociological Explanations of Crime    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    15

2.2       Overview of Crime in Nigeria            ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    18

2.3       Factors Contributing to Crime            ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    19

2.4       Rural Urban Migration                        ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    23

 2.5      Family Disorganization                       ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    24

2.6       Crime in Nigerian Cities                     ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    25

2.7       Consequences of Crime                      ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    27

2.8        Crime Control Strategies Overviewed           ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    29

2.9       Formal Crime Prevention and Control Strategies       ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    31

2.10     Architecture Response to Urban Crime          ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    34

2.11      Informal Crime Control/Prevention Strategies          ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    35

2.12     Neighbourhood Protection Security Strategies          ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    39

2.23    Theoretical Framework            ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    42

CHAPTER THREE:  METHODOLOGY

3.1       Research Design                     ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    54

3.2       The Study Area                       ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    54

3.3       Research Population               ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    54

3.4       Sample Size and Sampling Procedure            ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    54

3.5       Instrument for Data Collection           ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    54

3.6       Validity of Instrument                        ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    56

3.7        Reliability of the Research Instrument          ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    56

3.8       Method of Data Analysis       ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    57

REFERENCES                      ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    ……..    58

CHAPTER ONE:  INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

Crime is ubiquitous, that is, it exists virtually in all societies. It is a normal part of society like birth and death (Durkhelm, 1933). Crime has become one of the major social problems in Nigeria. The explanation for the crime problem lies in several factors which has not been adequately addressed despite the fact that, there is an over-concentration of life enhancing opportunities in the cities. The city dwellers are not also exposed to equal opportunities. Thus, those citizens who are unable to cope with the difficulties associated with such inequalities, resort to different adaptive behaviours that, in the final analysis, constitute deviance or criminality. Crime is “any act or omission prohibited by public law for the protection of the public, and punishable by the state in a judicial proceeding in its own name (Marshall and Clark, 1952:1). This definition however, creates room for the non-compensation of crime victims, since crime is more or less against the state and not individuals. Unlike in the rural areas, the uniform emphasis on achieving success in urban centres which is defined by material acquisition, without a corresponding emphasis on the socially acceptable means of attaining such success, ‘tends to create frustrations and alienation. Whether it is the crime often committed by the poor and the weak which include kidnapping, robbery, rape and burglary or that which are usually committed by the rich and powerful who indulge in corporate or white collar crimes prone in our societies.   

Several cities in Nigeria meet the demographic criterion of 20,000 inhabitants and serve as a pull to rural migrants. However, Nigerian cities are characterized by glamour and filth as well as opportunities and frustration which lead to crime. It is a centre of opportunity for a few, a centre of frustration for those who are disintegrated and disconnected from the channels of opportunities for survival. Thus Nigerian cities manifest poverty and wealth, happiness and misery, frustration resulting from deprivation leading to anomie as well as the emergence and sustenance of criminal sub-culture or syndicates in the cities (Ekpenyong, 2005).

Every society has its needs and means of satisfying them. Merton (1938) argues that societies create cultural goals and institutionalized means of attaining those goals. However, due to differential positions occupied by members of the society in the opportunity structure, those who, for various reasons, fail to realize proscribed cultural goals; devise alternative means of resolving the resulting anomie. The conflict is between goals set by the society and the means of achieving them. Essentially, Akwa Ibom State, with a population of 3,920,208 people (according to the 2006 population census figure) is projected to 5,085,870 by 2014.  Although the State was ranked among the poorest States in Nigeria (Ekpo, 2005), presently the State is the second highest producer of crude oil in the country.  As a result the Federal allocation accrued to it has turned the State to one of the richest in Nigeria as physically seen by the modern infrastructural development, few of which include the ultra modern world class sports stadium described as best in Africa, good road network, Ibom Independent Power Plants phases 1-3. 

A deep sea port with an inland harbor at Ibaka, Ibom oil and gas industrial processing city, Digital Library, Tropicana   entertainment centre, Altra Modern Fly overs, 5 Star hotel with 160 world class rooms, Lee Merridian and Golf resort with 18 hole golf course described by the Ghanaian president as the best and largest in Africa, and the International Airport with Maintenance Repairs and Overhauling (MRO) facility and 3.6km International runway just to mention but a few (Jetlife Nigeria, 2014).  President Goodluck Jonathan opines “the State is presently being transformed beyond all recognition creating infrastructure, boosting education and health. It has gone from a stagnant backward structure to a modern forward looking territory that has its sight on becoming the main destination for both industry and tourism in the country (Jonathan, 2014).  The average growth rate between 2005-2012 is estimated to be 8.82% higher than the Nigerian growth rate of 6.62%, the State per capita income as at 2012 was estimated at 82.779 (Jetlife Nigeria, 2014).  Udom (2013) observed Akwa Ibom State with an agenda of uncommon transformation that sets it apart as an infrastructural leader among Nigeria comity of States, transforming from “insignificant to a Must See Status”.

This developmental situation led to rural-urban migration in search of substantive means of livelihood. These migrants are however often little equipped to cope with the problems of urban unemployment, homelessness and poverty. Furthermore, most of these migrants are often too unskilled for the highly competitive urban environment. As a result, many of them ultimately take to deviant paths of adjustment such as drug and kidnapping (Inyang, 2004).

CRIME RATE AND CRIME CONTROL STRATEGIES: THE CASE OF KIDNAPPING IN AKWA IBOM STATE NIGERIA