Armed robbery attacks and everyday life in Nigeria

Cyril O. Ugwuoke, Obinna J. Eze

University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

Ameh, Sunday Ojonugwa

Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria

Aliyu Bello Mohammed

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Nigeria

AKOR, Linus

Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara, Nigeria

Amadi Aroh

Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria

Abstract:

This paper examined armed robbery attacks everyday life in Nigeria as part of a victimization survey. The study not that the phenomenon of armed robbery, like other organized criminal activities such as kidnapping for ransom, armed banditry, and terrorism, constitues a big source of concern because apart from the resultant human losses, it constitues a serious impediment to direct foreign invesment as no investor would want to do business in an environment charactirized by threat to security. The study used 819 respondents spread cross 4 geopolitical zones of the country, by means of the other administired questionnaire method. The study indicated that over 39% of the rspondents had experienced armed robbery attacks at least once, while 56% others knew at least somebody who was killed by robbers. Over 60% live with the fear of robbery attacks on daily basis, The paper observed that the nations highways have remained unsafe even as the security strategies devised by successive Nigerian governments have been largely ineffectual. These findings were considered very alarming by security standards. The paper disagreed with the usual notion which attributes the menace of armed robbery in the country to umemployment, Rather, it identifed Nigeria s weak security architecture with emphais on method of policing and societal value system as areas that require a paradigm shift.

Keyword:

Armed robbery, Crime victims, Hotspot, Security, Violence.