Campus Criminality and Vulnerability of Victimisation among Undergraduate Students in Ekiti State Urban Universities

Campus Criminality and Vulnerability of Victimisation among Undergraduate Students in Ekiti State Urban Universities

Stephen Oluyemi ILORI, PhD¹, Ayomide Augustine ILORI², and Esan Vincent ALABA, PhD³

^1,2Department of Peace and Security Studies

³Department of Political Science and International Diplomacy

Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.807202

Received: 17 June 2024; Revised: 03 July 2024; Accepted: 08 July 2024; Published: 17 August 2024

ABSTRACT

Campus criminality has exposed university students to different schemes of victimisation. This study anchored on Routine Activity Theory (RAT) engaged qualitative research methods to survey 20 direct and indirect victims of campus crimes in Ekiti State urban universities. Shared experience revealed cultism and gang activities, financial extortion, physical and psychological intimidation, theft, sexual violence and harassment are the kinds of campus criminality in Ekiti State urban universities. Campus criminality was identified to be a complex interplay of social, economic, psychological and environmental factors. The fear of victimization in Ekiti State urban universities is deeply rooted in the presence and organisation of illegal societies on campus. Hence, undergraduate students should deploy Avoidance Behaviour Strategy (ABS) and access victim support services while the university management infuses crime prevention programmes to minimise the risk and neutralise the effect of rape, bullying, robbery and sexual assault among others. It is imperative to strengthen Ekiti State urban universities’ laws and policies against campus criminality and revamp campus security with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).

Keywords: campus criminality, vulnerability, victimization, undergraduate students, campus security

INTRODUCTION

Instances of criminality that endanger the safety of students, teachers, and staff are becoming more frequent at universities (Ajayi, 2022). Urban universities, with their sizable student populations, experience campus criminality. Students drawn from different cultural backgrounds diversify the university community and occasionally experience disputes and tensions (Opele et al., 2021). Therefore, it is essential to investigate campus criminality and victimization that undergraduate students of urban universities in Ekiti State encounter while creating focused strategies for crime prevention and guaranteeing the safety of the university community members.

Despite a place of higher learning, campuses are increasingly vulnerable to several types of criminality, endangering the security and well-being of employees, faculty, and students (Omole et al., 2020). The urban environments expose colleges to outside criminal influences such as the smuggling of drugs and the infiltration of organized crime networks (Okunola et al., 2022). Therefore victimization can occur in a variety of ways on campuses, including theft, assault, sexual harassment, and cybercrime, as well as more serious crimes like robbery, kidnapping, and murder. Each of these occurrences has serious repercussions for the victims, harming their physical and mental health as well as impeding their academic goals (Ojolo, 2017). Hence, the atmosphere on campus could be greatly impacted by the fear and perception of crime, which may harm the institution’s reputation.

Universities are essential components of their local communities, and crimes committed there affect the neighbourhood’s citizens and businesses (Oluwadare et al., 2018). Although anecdotal evidence suggests that crimes like theft, assault, sexual harassment, and cybercrime exist (Agboola et al., 2015), a thorough investigation into the scope and makeup of these criminal acts is still required.

Understanding the features of campus criminality is essential for creating prevention efforts that are specifically aimed at the problem and for assisting those who have been harmed (Afolabi, 2019). Ekiti State is not immune to this growing tendencies, universities in the state have seen a variety of criminal activity (Ajayi, 2022; Opele et al., 2021; Omole et al., 2020; Afolabi, 2019; Oluwadare, et al., 2018) which necessitates this thorough investigation into campus criminality and vulnerability of victimisation among undergraduate students of urban universities in Ekiti State.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Campus criminality is crimes committed on the grounds of colleges and universities (Wesely et al. (2022). Theft, assault, sexual harassment, drug usage, and cybercrime are just a few examples of crimes that occur on campuses. In metropolitan campuses, cybercrime is a rising kind of campus crime. Identity theft, internet harassment, and other cybercrimes affect both students and teachers (Okoye et al., 2019). Financial loss and reputational harm are two possible outcomes of cybercrime. The education industry was responsible for 10.9% of all data breaches in the United States in 2017 and 15.2% in Nigeria (Bakare, 2021). Victimization, on the other hand, relates to the experiences of people who have been the victims of crime or abuse. Crimes committed on campus may have students, staff, teachers, or visitors as victims (Cozens & Sun, 2019). Victims may experience physical, emotional, and psychological suffering, which may compromise their general health and ability to do well in school.

Urban universities are found in or near urban areas, where there is a large population density, social disarray, and the presence of criminal gangs, making them more vulnerable to violence. Universities in metropolitan areas are more likely than those in rural areas to encounter crime (Hurst, 2020). As a sizable establishment with several entry points, theft is the most prevalent sort of campus crime. This loss which includes the loss of laptops, cell phones, and other personal property, frequently targets students and faculty. Theft accounted for 44% of the campus offences recorded by postsecondary schools in 2015 (National Bureau of Statistics, 2017). According to the survey, 67% of all recorded thefts took place in on-campus student housing.

Urban universities frequently experience sexual harassment and assault, with female students and staff members being the most at risk (Liedka et al., 2019). Sexual assault involves acts like rape and other non-consensual sexual intercourse, whereas sexual harassment can take many other forms, from unwanted physical touch to verbal abuse. The 2015 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct by the Association of American Universities (AAU) found that 23% of female undergraduate students experienced sexual assault or misconduct while attending college (Hurst, 2020). Only 12% of sexual assault cases, according to the study, were reported to the police or the institution.

Personal traits including gender, color, and socioeconomic background are examples of individual elements that might increase an individual’s susceptibility to victimization. According to Asiyai,& Oghuvbu (2020), students from low-income homes are more likely to be assaulted and robbed than other students, and female students are more likely to face sexual assault. In terms of victimization, race and ethnicity are also important factors, with students of colour more likely to experience crime (Ekpoh et al., 2020).

Environmental aspects including the campus’s architectural design, the accessibility of security measures, and the neighbourhood’s safety can also have an impact on how vulnerable students are to victimization (Attoh, 2019). The likelihood of victimization rises since urban universities are frequently situated in high-crime regions. surveillance features including surveillance cameras, well-lit walkways, and emergency call boxes can aid in discouraging criminal activity and enhancing student safety (Dressman, 2019).

Addressing criminality and vulnerabilities is crucial for urban institutions where criminals have the opportunity to operate covertly. The most serious problem of drug addiction which might make students and teachers become victims of drug-related crimes (Liedka et al., 2019) requires solutions on campuses. Drug usage can result in addiction, which harms one’s overall health and ability to succeed academically. In the previous year, 37.9% of full-time undergraduate students reported using an illicit substance according to the National Bureau of Statistics (Iloma et al., 2022). The likelihood that students would be victimized can also be impacted by institutional variables, such as university regulations and procedures. According to Williams et al. (2019), universities are more likely to foster a safe environment for students if they have clear policies on sexual harassment and assault and offer support services for victims. Student safety can also be increased by implementing training programs for instructors and staff on how to handle criminal occurrences (Jones & Pridemore, 2019).

Universities can use a variety of preventative and corrective measures to deal with on-campus crimes and victimization risks. Environmental design, changes to policies and procedures, and awareness and education are the three basic categories into which these techniques can be divided. Environmental design techniques entail altering the campus’s physical setting to lower the likelihood of crime. These tactics may involve setting up security cameras, improving lighting in risky places, and putting in place access control procedures (Dizon, 2021). To lessen the likelihood of crime, school buildings and grounds can be redesigned. For instance, restricting access to particular regions of the campus can be accomplished by employing landscaping to build natural barriers (Chernoff, 2022).

In addition, clear policies and procedures must be developed and put into place for responding to criminal activity and helping victims as part of policy and procedural improvements (Cundiff, 2021). This may entail drafting guidelines for sexual harassment and assault, setting up ways for criminal activity to be reported, and offering victim assistance programs. To improve campus safety, universities can also form alliances with regional law enforcement organizations (Gius, 2019) to offer safe dissemination of knowledge on urban campuses.

Theoretical Framework: Routine Activities Theory

Routine Activities Theory (RAT) describes how the presence of motivated offenders, the availability of suitable targets, and the lack of capable guardians contribute to crime (Williams et al., 2019). According to the theory, crime results from the three factors coming together at a specific moment and location. When RAT is used to examine campus crimes and victimization risks in urban colleges, it sheds light on the elements that contribute to crime’s prevalence and helps establish measures for preventing it (Jones & Pridemore, 2019).

A crucial component of RAT that can contribute to explaining the incidence of campus crimes is the availability of suitable targets. Urban campuses offer many easy targets for theft, including pricey electronics, expensive books, and personal items. Motivated criminals searching for simple ways to commit crimes find these targets intriguing (Park & Metcalfe, 2022). For instance, a student might leave his or her laptop unattended in the cafeteria or library, creating a potential target for an aggressor with the right motivation.

Another component of RAT explains that the prevalence of campus crimes is the presence of motivated offenders. Motivated offenders can be both outsiders like robbers and thieves as well as people who are a part of the university community like students or staff who may commit crimes. For instance, a staff member may conduct fraud or embezzlement using the university’s resources as a cover. Students might also commit theft or drug trafficking. These criminals’ motivations are frequently fueled by a need for money, narcotics, or other resources.

The third component of RAT that can assist in explaining the prevalence of campus crimes is the lack of capable guardians. People with the ability to stop crime and safeguard potential victims are capable guardians. They could be campus police, security workers, or any other employees with the necessary skills to spot and deal with illegal activity. Offenders are more likely to conduct crimes without concern for being detected when capable guardians are not visible. For instance, if there aren’t any security officers on duty to police the campus at night, criminals could feel more inclined to do so.

In sum, Routine Activities Theory provides a helpful paradigm for comprehending the incidence of campus crimes and victimization vulnerabilities in urban campuses. Universities can pinpoint the elements that lead to the incidence of crime and create successful crime prevention programs by investigating the availability of suitable targets, the presence of determined offenders, and the absence of skilled guardians. Therefore, RAT can be utilized to create efficient crime prevention tactics in addition to outlining the aspects that lead to the occurrence of campus criminality. Universities can find ways to lower the danger of victimization by concentrating on the components of RAT. For instance, to dissuade perpetrators, institutions can set up surveillance cameras and increase the number of security staff in high-risk areas. They can also put rules and practices into place that encourage the reporting of illegal activity and offer assistance to victims. Universities can also instruct their employees and students on how to safeguard their possessions and themselves, such as avoiding walking alone at night and keeping their items in sight.

Research Setting

This study was conducted in the urban universities owned by the Ekiti State Government, namely Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti (EKSU) and Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti (BOEUSTI). The urban universities are located in the urban communities which are Ado Ekiti, the state capital and Ikere Ekiti where there are several government administrative centres, business districts, residences and a dense population.

METHODOLOGY

This study embraces a qualitative research course to sample undergraduate students who participated in the study. Purposive sampling was used to select Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti (EKSU) and Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti (BOUESTI) which happen to be the only two Ekiti State Government-owned urban universities. Convenient sampling was deployed to interview undergraduate students in lecture theatres, hostels, walkways, relaxation centres/eateries, computer centres etc on campus. As there are no hard rules involved in the sample size of a qualitative study, 20 students were interviewed for this study. It is estimated that between 10 and 50 participants are sufficient depending on the type of research and research question (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Direct victims of campus criminality represent groups of undergraduate students who answered the Key Informant Interview (KII) and indirect victims represent groups of undergraduate students who answered the In-depth Interview (IDI).

As regards the data analysis, the interview responses were retrieved through a rigorous process for the tape record data. Transcription of the responses was subjected to manual content analysis which went through careful transcription, detailed description and interpretation. The data were afterwards thematically analysed, explored and interpreted with the research objectives. Verbatim quotations of some of the major responses given by the undergraduate students interviewed were done to elucidate the analysis.

Ethical Consideration

Adhering to international research ethical standards, data collected were anonymised during the data analysis process. The undergraduate students interviewed were aware of the non-maleficent risks and beneficence of the of the study and voluntarily answered the KII and IDI questions. Overall the study incorporated the ethical treatment of human elements in social research.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Under the following objectives, this section represents the significant findings from the qualitative data collected through KII and IDI. Findings were logically discussed for a robust analysis of data thematically analysed.

Nature of Campus criminality in Ekiti State urban universities

The character of campus criminality in urban universities in Ekiti State from shared experiences exposed that campus criminality is particularly related to cultism and gang activities. The findings corroborate the Asiyai and Oghuvbu (2020) which identified stealing and pilfering, room break-ins, sexual harassment, cultism, and drug offences as common campus criminality. The most common crimes on campus include theft of laptops and cell phones, and robberies at their places of accommodation (Ross & Rasool, 2019). Here are the deduced aspects of campus criminalites from the interview excerpt. One of the students narrated his experience of intimidation as thus:

“I was a victim of cultism. Due to the absence of electricity in the school area, we sometimes leave our hostel to go out and charge our phones. So, I had gone to charge my phone earlier so when I went back to get my phone the rabouts 8pm, I was on my way back, I was stopped by three unidentified gangs and I was asked to follow them into an uncompleted building, and the leader of the group asked the two other guys to step aside and keep watch for him and he told me he belong to a particular cult group and also disclose some other people that are part of the group and the benefit that they gained. He was trying to convince me to join his group. This was on a Wednesday and he told by the coming weekend they would be having a party and he would like me to come. I told him I wouldn’t be able to come. Funny enough, he was a friendly guy you know, but I think it was one of his techniques, it was one of the ways they use to lure people, so I told him I would not be able to come because where the party was going to be held is far from where I was staying. But he offered to send his car to pick me up and of course, I had no excuse to refuse him anymore, so I told him I was going to be there. So after that night, he started calling me. He told me about some lecturers and some politicians in Ekiti that were in his cult group, so after that night he kept on calling to check up on me, to ask how I was doing and all that. On the day of the birthday party, I looked for an excuse for him, I told him I was having a lecture, and when he noticed that I was avoiding him, he sent me a text and the text was a terrifying one, in that text message he threatened me that any day that I ever meet him on the road by chance, that I should just know that that day will be the end of me. I was so scared that I had to call my mum and send her a text. It was so scary to see that kind of message, so scary, but we thanked God we prayed about it and I never set my eyes on him since that day (KII/Male/Undergraduate Student).”

In another similar narration:

“On this faithful day, it was my matriculation day on my way going. A guy called me and asked for money from me because it was my matriculation day and I was supposed to settle him and his gangs because he was known to be the head of a cult. I was already late for the occasion and I told him that I was late that when I am back I would see him. But still, he didn’t let me go, but he was still insisting on me giving him that money, I now said if that is how he wanted it then I couldn’t give him money because I was not owing him, so was how this guy delayed me for so long. I was just there, so I had to call my school father to help me. When my school father came, he told him that I was rude to him. and I was just trying to explain myself to him but he didn’t let me, so my school father gave him some money and he let me go. But that was not the end, after my matriculation day, I was in my room the next day and they sent someone to come and call me, so when we got there, he told me to kneel in front of his gang. I asked why, and what did I do? He told me he was asking me out and I refused him which he didn’t, so I had to call my school father again. The guy never knew my school father knew their boss like he wasn’t aware of it and then when he was kind of acting stubbornly my school father called his boss, and when the boss spoke with him he was surprised at how my school father got to know his boss, and that was how everything ended and he apologized (KII/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

In another narrative:

“There was a particular day I was coming from night class. When I got to the side of the road, three guys approached me and they approached me aggressively and started searching my bag for valuables, I was shocked and scared but the next thing they did was ask for my number and the next thing they asked for my phone and I asked them what do they want to do with my phone and the next thing I knew was that the one standing at my left-hand side slapped me and collected the phone and they were bragging and they were abusing me with words before they left (KII/Male/Undergraduate Student ).”

A female undergraduate student explained his experience:

“ I did not know if they were area boys or cultists or touts. I was trekking along the road, I was supposed to go and deposit money in my bank account and it was very early in the morning around my hostel, these guys called me, they were about five or so, they called me and asked me where I was going and I told them I was going to school, there was a pulse in my hand, one of them collected the purse in my hand and took the money that was inside the purse, and that if I report them to anybody, I will be the one to be in trouble. They said this money they collected from me is now theirs they gave me about 500 nairas for transport to school (KII/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

In another narrative:

“Rape is common, stealing and burgling of hostels. These are the two main criminality that do happen on campus. As a victim of a robbery before, it happened sometime last year, I was robbed in my hostel and they took away my valuables, which included phones and laptops of different types. These crimes are mostly done at night (KII/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

A bullying experience was reported by a student:

“On a particular evening in my hostel, I was cooking, some set of guys came and I even thought they were my friends, they just came and threatened me to bring the food when am done cooking. They told me to bring the food to a particular room in the hostel, they gave me the room numbers, they were saying all sorts of stuff that if I didn’t bring it they would beat me and I would not be safe in the campus again, I was bullied (KII/Male/Undergraduate Student).”

Another case of robbery was revealed:

“There was a particular day I was coming from a night class when I got to the side of the road, three guys approached me and they approached aggressively and they started searching my bag for valuables, I was shocked and scared but the next thing they did was to ask for my number and the next thing they asked for my phone and I asked them what do they want to do with my phone and the next thing I knew was that the one standing at my left-hand side slapped me and collected the phone and they were still bragging and they were abusing me with words before they left (KII/Male/Undergraduate Student).”

In another narrative:

“I was threatened whereby my phone was collected from me and those people that threatened me even brought out a firearm to scare me to collect my phone. I was bullied and slapped and they took away my phone from me (KII/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

As deduced from the shared experience narrated above, pervasive cultism and gang activities, financial extortion, physical and psychological intimidation, theft, sexual violence and harassment are the kinds of campus criminality. The narrated experience of campus criminality revealed that in Ekiti State urban universities there is an atmosphere of fear and vulnerability among students, considering threats, manipulation, intimidation/bullying coercion, extortion and campus robbery, and physical and sexual assault which are the outcomes of these kinds of criminality. Furthermore, findings underscore the support for the Routine Activity Theory and through this study it is manifested that there are serious concerns about campus crime and vulnerability of criminality at Nigerian universities.

Factors Contributing to Campus Criminality

Several factors contributed to campus criminality such as lack of support systems that could deter criminal behaviours and the desire to achieve some level of social status and recognition. Others are the power of influence from friends or associates which compel students to conform to some criminal behaviours and engage in unlawful activities, the thirst for power or to establish some sense of dominance and authority also drives students to be involved in criminal activities. Events such as parties, elections, matriculation days and other kinds of social gatherings; lack of proper upbringing or good parenting leading to a lack of moral values and ethical boundaries make students susceptible to criminal temptations. Also, some forces that could be terrestrial or superstitious, economic hardship that caused students desperation and cravings to fulfil basic psychological needs such as hunger and inadequate security measures on campus are open doors towards belonging to criminal groups on campus or engaging in criminal behaviour without the fear of immediate consequences. These corresponded with the earlier findings of Asiyai and Oghuvbu (2020) which identified that psychological instinct, poverty, commodity fetishism, integration-regulation problems, cultural lag, improper political culture, money-power relationships and religious extremism are the main reasons for campus crime. One of the interviewed students expressed this:

“I think it is ignorance that makes some students involved in criminality and the fact that the government has failed them in a way. Cultism is so rampant in Nigeria and peer pressure contributes to this which has a negative influence, such as the need for them to be flamboyant and popular. These are things the young people think of. They want to make a name for themselves and get material things (KII/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

In a similar response:

“Well for me I feel it is oppression. People are thirsty for power, they want to be known for who they are like they want to be in control and this is wrong. Activities such as school parties, elections and events on matric days contribute to campus criminality. Mostly on matriculation day, because I even saw some people going to flog students who were going for matriculation (KII/Male/Undergraduate Student).”

Another student narrated:

“Sometimes most of them lack good parenting and some are being controlled by certain natural forces which I do not know. Some have bad friends that have corrupted their minds. The campus activities that have contributed to campus criminality or motivated some students to do certain things is cultism (IDI/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

In another expression by a student:

“Peer pressure contributes to campus criminality because the people you move with define who you are. Also, some activities that schools engage in instigate crimes, especially social activities. Sometimes there are social activities held in school where students have to show off their money. So I think people go to some extent to commit crimes just to feel important. Some particular students can just decide to join a group of gangs just because they want to have money or they think they see something good that they should be part of, so peer pressure is one of the things that contribute to campus criminality (IDI/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

Similarly, a student put it as:

“Actually when an individual has the thought of getting powers it is possible to go into cultism and again lack of funds and care for some students does make them go into cultism. Also, peer pressure is a potent factor like when you have friends that seem to be more powerful than you, you might also want to emulate such friends (KII/Male/Undergraduate Student).”

Psychological need was expressed as a recourse for campus criminality:

“Well to me, hunger is the common thing that mostly contributes to criminality on campus, you know when hunger worries you. Somebody hungry is highly susceptible and could be easily influenced by those with the resources (KII/Male/Undergraduate Student).”

Campus criminality is identified as a complex interplay of social, economic, psychological and environmental factors. Causes of crime in urban universities vary but a major cause of crime according to the perception of the respondents is poverty, drug/substance abuse, peer pressure, poor security measures and family conditions (Toluhi, 2021; Oyenike et al., 2016). It can be established that students of higher institutions are generally considered to be more sophisticated in engaging in campus criminality. They are identified as those who lack moral standards and level of education cannot serve as deterrence from criminal behaviour.

Fear of Crime Vulnerabilities in Ekiti State Urban Universities

Fear of crime is a significant constraint for actions and lifestyles, heightened anxiety, diminishes participation and increases the cost of criminal justice and security strategies (Pleggenkuhle and Schafer, 2018). Examining fear of crime vulnerability among students of Ekiti State urban universities, it was discovered that membership in campus associations and identity makes students consider themselves vulnerable to criminal activities within the university community. These groups expose students to the fear of the associated risks of cultism. Female students in particular fear rape due to the secluded areas of some locations on campus especially during night period. In their expression, they feel vulnerable due to their gender which makes them become potential targets due to their perceived calmness and passivity. Despite most university’s internal security measures, the students still have the fear of internal threats and fear of theft and robbery within their primary group or relationship which makes every student embrace a culture of suspicion even for friends and roommates. The use of weapons to intimidate victims also heightens the fear of becoming a victim and the incidence of clashes between rival or gang groups creates fear among the students. In addition, the fear of reporting cult-related incidents and fear of relation due to the widespread network of cult groups makes a report of cult-related criminal activity on campus risky. According to one of the students interviewed:

“I am a member of a society where these criminal acts are done, so that makes me vulnerable to it, if I were not a student of Ekiti State University, I would never have any reason to come here, but because I am a member of Ektit state university that makes me vulnerable to all these criminal activities in Ekiti state university. lam afraid of cultism and robbery (KII/Male/Undergraduate Student).”

In another response:

“I am afraid of being raped because it can affect me emotionally and I tried to avoid it by not going to night class alone. I also avoid walking alone. Like the one I heard, this girl went to night class although she was not the only one in the night class and the venue was isolated, surrounded by bushes, so according to what they said, she was going out to ease herself, so when she got there they ambushed her and was raped (KII/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

Another student narrates:

“Most times victims are attacked with weapons such as short guns or knives to make the victim surrender. I am afraid of cult clashes because some time ago in my hostel there was this cultist clash and lives were lost in the process (IDI/Male/Undergraduate Student).”

In another narrative:

I am afraid of crimes occuring on campus such usually makes me paranoid. Vices like cultism, rape and theft are those vices that instil fear in us. I consider myself vulnerable because I am a lady and my calm personality makes me susceptible (KII/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

In a similar experience:

“Yes, and it is normal to be vulnerable. For example, if you report a cultist to the school authority they might know who you are reporting them to. That is how connected they are. So reporting their crime as a victim is very dangerous (KII/Female/Undergraduate Student).”

Perceived safety and status both induce the fear of crime among students (White, 2019). However, the fear of crime vulnerabilities at Ekiti Urban University is deeply rooted in the presence of organised criminal societies on campus. As narrated in the shared experiences of the students these fears significantly impact their daily lives and activities, thereby, creating a persistent atmosphere of vulnerability and suspicion. Consistent with routine activity theory the fear of crime vulnerabilities among undergraduate students is heightened when there is a lack of capable guardianship.

CONCLUSION

Campus criminality and vulnerability of victimisation contribute to the spate of insecurity currently experienced in Ekiti State, Nigeria. To control and prevent the risk among undergraduate students of Ekiti State urban universities, it is imperative to revamp the insufficient campus security supervision and surveillance technologies that have provided opportunities for criminals to operate without fear of being caught for immediate consequences. University authorities should employ preventive and access control mechanisms as well as corrective measures to deal with campus crimes and victimization risks. Campus crime prevention law and policy should be revised and infuse crime prevention programmes and victim support services that will effectively address campus criminality and vulnerability of victimisation among undergraduate students. In addition, campus security architecture should integrate the use of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) i.e. CCTV cameras, lighting in risky places, and strengthening access control procedures on campus to reduce the likelihood of criminality. The number of campus police or security workers and security secret services should be expanded and reinforced with the necessary skills and equipment to spot and deal with criminal activity on campus. Majorly, students should adopt the Avoidance Behaviour Strategy (ABS) to avoid secluded areas to minimize the risk of becoming victims of heinous crimes like rape, robbery and sexual assault among others on campus.

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