SOCIO-ECONOMIC VARIABLES AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR IN AKPABUYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE

Abstract

Historically, criminality has consistently posed economic as well as social, deleterious and counter-productive effects in the country. The actual cost of crime did not become a core political issue until it becomes a dominant social menace which often influenced production and social growth in human history. The desire to shift emphasis on socio-economic variables toward criminality is well recognized as well as documented. Empirically, research has portrayed that socio-economic variables such as income inequality, level of education and occupation are practically responsible for criminality in most societies with particular reference to Akpabuyo local government area. Socio-economic variables and criminality are both geographically concentrated in a strikingly consistent manner, in other words, where you find socio-economic challenges is also where you have criminality of all types. Criminality is an aberration and must be vehemently abhorred in society. Socio-economic variables possess a tremendous influence on the crime rate in the study area. Additionally, it is observed that available statistics reveals that there is an increased jobless youth population and Cross River State had 30.6 percent of unemployment rate in 2019. From the foregoing, socio-economic variables and criminality have been a fundamental danger in contemporary era and appears to be on the ascendancy in the same direction. Also, it is partly agreed among criminologists, economists, particularly sociologically theorists that criminality should not be condoned in the society as its consequences are counter-productive and deleterious in all ramifications. Criminality is a grave hindrance to harmonious sustainable development as it dissipates or misguides the gains of socio-economic growth as well as impairs the quality of life. Efforts by past and present administrations made concertedly with a view to addressing socio-economic variables and criminality among residents of Akpabuyo have drastically failed as well as ended in futility. The socio-economic implications of criminality in the study area have discouraged tourists recently from visiting as a result of the alarming rate of crime. However, it is in the light of the above observations of the following variables such as income disparity and or inequality, educational level as well as occupation which the paper seeks to address socio-economic variables responsible for crime. It is on this note that the paper actually examines critically the above highlighted issues with a view lasting solutions could be proferred in this paper.