Comparative of crime victim survey report with the police report on Crime patterns, and trends in Gboko Town, Benue State, Nigeria
- November 11, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS Team
- Categories: IJRISS, Sociology
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue X, October 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
Iorkosu, Tyover Samuel: Ph.D1, ThankGod, Okosun: Ph.D2, Iyolwuese, Salem I: Ph.D3, Yaakugh Vincent4
1Student, Department of Sociology, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
2,3Student, Peace and Conflict Studies, Institute of Governance and Development Studies, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria
4Department of Sociology, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria
Abstract:-This study compares crime reports using data obtained from crime victims and Police reports from Gboko town in Benue State, Nigeria between 2017 and 2018. The dark figure inherent in the periodic crime record has severally been pointed out in Sociological literature, but determining the extent of these hidden figures has consistently been obscured due inability to compare Police data with data from crime victims. The significance of this study lies in raising the contribution of crime victims to periodic crime data, and to determine the true extent of crime patterns and trends in Gboko town. To do this a sample size of 400 household heads were systematically drawn from Gboko town based on a sample frame obtained from the National Population Office at Markurdi using Yamane’s formula of determining sample size. The town was segmented into five clusters, with 80 respondents drawn from each using questionnaire and key informant interview method as data collection instrument. Analysis of data revealed that the volume of crime victimization in Gboko town was relatively higher compared to the Police reports. It also showed differences in crime patterns and trends reported. Based on these findings, we recommend among others the involvement of crime victims’ reports in the Police periodic analysis of crime patterns and trends, compensation of crime victims, and encouragement of victims to speak out.
Keywords: Crime, Crime victimization, Crime report, Gboko town.
Introduction
Nigeria has in recent times been called everything from a country in the descent into the dark, to a country beset with pervasive wave crime of different sorts across the land. Scholars contend that perhaps one of the most gruesome and crippling indices accounting for its failed state status in most recent times has been unprecedented, widespread, and growing incidence of mass crime of different sorts such as armed robbery, human kidnapping, and extortion in many states across the nation (Ishor, Iorkosu & Apavigba, 2018; Anosika, 2009). Consequently, the pervasive wave of crime in Nigeria is especially crippling to society, because of the special toll they take on the core psyche of a people. As it is often tantamount in the minds of the people to the humiliation of the main symbols and institutions of national security (Ijeoma, 2010), more painfully, the widespread occurrence of crime in Nigeria has the most potential to undermine the peace and security of the Nigerian people, disrupt economic unemployment and in general, to the immobilization of government and society.
