The Emerging Trends and Patterns of Non-State Actors Involvement in Crime Prevention and Control in South-West Nigeria: Old Wine in New Bottle

Abstract

Globally, the use of formal security apparatus is approved standard of ensuring safety of lives and property in any sane society. The most developed countries of the world has fashioned out effective security control model to guarantee safety of lives and protection of citizens properties. This security measure is one of the many challenges confronting most developing nations including Nigeria.. It is a very serious problem when a country cannot protect the lives and properties of its citizens. It is even a bigger problem when the lives of its citizens mean nothing to the government of the day. The continuous incidence of boko-Haram and herdsmen attack, kidnapping, suicide bombing, violence and abduction is a clear indication that present government have failed its citizen in securing them and their valuable. This study examined the emerging trends and patterns on non state actor involvement in crime prevention and control in South-West Nigeria: An old wine in new bottle. The paper adopted the Karl Mark (1874) theory of exploitation as its theoretical current. The study made used of the survey research design. Sample size of 200 was determined using Yamane sample size technique. The cluster, simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select respondents for the study. The study made use of questionnaire and key informant interviews as instruments for data collection. Simple percentage tables and frequency were employed to present quantitative data. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis technique and ethnographic summaries. The results revealed that the Non state actors involvement in security via Amotekun has drastically reduced crime rate, safeguard lives and property, promote socio-economic development, exposes criminals, promote peace and unity amongst others. The paper recommended that the government must make security a top priority by providing all that is required to guarantee safety of lives and properties of its citizens’. The citizens must support the government and its agencies in all means possible to reduce crime rate in the area. Effective legislation, enforcement and adequate sanction should be advocated for those caught to be perpetrating crime or sabotaging crime prevention and control efforts of the government.