Using crime control mechanisms in yoruba traditional society as a template for redressing security challenges in Nigeria

Abstract

Crime and its attendant fatalities has become a burning issue in Nigeria in recent times. It is a phenomenon that is bedeviling the nation and steps taken by government to prevent it seem inadequate as it continues to spread like a dry season fire. Existing studies on crime and its control have focused mainly on the use of modern methods which are at variance with the cultures of the various societies, while little attention is also paid to the crime control mechanisms of the traditional Yoruba society. The inability of government to tackle the menace of crime has led to palpable fears among the people as security of lives and property is perpetually threatened. This has impacted negatively on the country that is striving to be among the developed nations in the world. A qualitative method of research was adopted for this brief study. The paper argues that crime that has become the order of the day in Nigeria, came as a result of inter alia unemployment, poverty, selfishness and greed. This paper proffers a solution by proposing the use of traditional Yoruba crime control mechanisms with the modern one, side by side, to fight crime in Nigeria in order to foster the rapid economic and social development that everybody is longing for.