Intelligent gathering and crime control in Nigeria: A critical sociological view
Keywords:
Intelligent gathering, crime control, Nigeria, sociological viewAbstract
Security challenges such as militancy, kidnapping, oil theft, and communal conflicts threaten stability in South-South Nigeria. Traditional kinetic security measures, while providing temporary relief, fail to address the root causes of insecurity, perpetuating cycles of violence. This study critically examines the role of intelligence gathering and non-kinetic strategies in crime control, emphasizing their potential to transform the region's security landscape. Non-kinetic approaches, including socio-economic empowerment, community engagement, and conflict resolution, target underlying drivers like poverty, unemployment, and environmental degradation. Using a mixed-methods design, findings highlight the effectiveness of grassroots intelligence gathering, skill empowerment initiatives, and advocacy programs, such as school-based crime prevention clubs, in reducing criminal behavior. Guided by Routine Activities and Social Disorganization Theories, the study recommends prioritizing vocational training, enhancing community-police collaboration, and implementing conflict resolution mechanisms. These strategies offer a sustainable pathway to peace and security in South-South Nigeria.Downloads
References
1. Adams M. & Wanjiru R. (2020). Intelligence-Led Policing in Kenya: A Pathway to Reducing Terrorism and Violent Crime. Journal of Crime and Justice, 43(2), 123-136. https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648X.2020.1748975
2. Alao A. (2007). Natural Resources and Conflict in Africa: The Tragedy of Endowment. University of Rochester Press
3. Alemika E.E.O. (2017). Indigenous Intelligence and Crime Control in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 15(1), 67-84
4. Bennett C. (2018). Privacy, Surveillance, and Public Trust. Cambridge University Press
5. Carter D. (2015). Interagency Cooperation in Intelligence. Homeland Security Affairs
6. Chen H., Chung W., Xu J.J., Wang G., Qin Y., & Chau M. (2016). Crime Data Mining: An Overview and Case Studies. ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems, 5(4), 400-420
7. Cohen L.E. & Felson M. (1979). Social Change and Crime Rate Trends: A Routine Activity Approach. American Sociological Review, 44(4), 588-608. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094589
8. Gill P., Phythian M., & Lee S. (2018). Intelligence-Led Policing: International Perspectives on Police Intelligence. Routledge
9. Human Rights Watch. (2007). Chop Fine: The Human Rights Impact of Local Government Corruption and Mismanagement in Rivers State, Nigeria. Human Rights Watch
10. Ikelegbe A. (2010). Oil, Resource Conflicts and the Post Conflict Transition in the Niger Delta Region: Beyond the Amnesty. Perspectives on the Niger Delta, 2(1), 20-36
11. Johnston L. & Shearing C. (2019). Governing Security: Explorations of Policing and Justice. Routledge
12. Jones L.M. & Mitchell K.J. (2016). Peer Victimization in Schools: The Role of Crime Advocacy Clubs in Promoting Positive School Climate. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(9), 1836-1849
13. Kaldor M. (2013). New and Old Wars: Organized Violence in a Global Era. John Wiley & Sons
14. Lederach J.P. (2003). The Little Book of Conflict Transformation. Good Books
15. Nwagboso C.I. (2019). Community-Based Intelligence and Its Impact on Crime Control in Nigeria. Journal of African Security, 12(1), 25-40
16. Obi C.I. (2010). Oil Extraction, Dispossession, Resistance, and Conflict in Nigeria's Oil-Rich Niger Delta. Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 30(1-2), 219-236
17. Ojakorotu V. (2008). The Internationalization of Oil Violence in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations, 7(1), 92-118
18. Okoli A.C. & Agada F.A. (2014). Kidnapping and National Security in Nigeria. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(6), 137-146
19. Okpara C.A. & Aghedo I. (2016). Militancy and Organized Crime in the South-South Region of Nigeria. African Security Review, 25(3), 261-276. https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2016.1184610
20. Oluwaniyi O.O. (2011). Post-Amnesty Programme in the Niger Delta: Challenges and Prospects. Conflict Trends, 4, 46-54
21. Omeje K. (2006). High Stakes and Stakeholders: Oil Conflict and Security in Nigeria. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
22. Onuoha F.C. (2010). The State and Water Conflict in Africa: A Focus on the Lake Chad, 1960-2007. African Journal on Conflict Resolution, 10(2), 69-91
23. Perry W.L., McInnis B., Price C.C., Smith S.C., & Hollywood J.S. (2013). Predictive Policing: The Role of Crime Forecasting in Law Enforcement Operations. RAND Corporation
24. Ratcliffe J.H. (2008). Intelligence-Led Policing. Willan Publishing
25. Ratcliffe J.H. (2016). Intelligence-Led Policing. Routledge
26. Ratcliffe J.H. (2016). Intelligence-Led Policing. Routledge
27. Ratcliffe J.H. & McCullagh M.J. (2001). Crime Mapping and the Impact of Intelligence-Led Policing. Policing and Society, 11(3), 253-267. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2001.996489
28. Ukiwo U. (2003). Politics, Ethno-Religious Conflicts, and Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria. Journal of Modern African Studies, 41(1), 115-138
29. Watts M. (2008). Blood Oil: The Anatomy of a Petrol-Insurgency in the Niger Delta. Niger Delta Economies of Violence Working Paper No. 12
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.


