TRADITIONAL VALUES, BELIEFS AND RELIANCE ON INDIGENOUS RESOURCES FOR CRIME CONTROL IN MODERN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
There is no such thing as a civilization completely free from crime and criminality, yet the extent to which it exists or occurs varies from culture to culture and is also dependent on the institutions in place to counteract the tendency and incidence. Every race or identity group on the earth has developed collectively understood patterns and conflict resolution techniques over time. The official method of criminal detection and control in the West, by contrast, is the police. Africans, on the other hand, think that only indigenous principles should be used to combat crime and criminals. When we talk about values, we’re referring to beliefs about the best possible lifestyles that aim to shape socialization-mediated actions in individuals or groups. From this vantage point, the study examines the crucial traditional and indigenous resources for crime prevention in the southwest. The general population has made several comments against the police’s inefficiency in addressing Nigeria’s growing crime problem in literature, the media, and academics. Many different solutions and suggestions were made, but to no avail. These tactics might not be common in our society. In the current Nigerian setting, the foreign system is used to deal with living patterns that are essentially foreign to the system.
This supports the assertion made by (Ukwayi, Joseph, Bernard, J., and Pius, Angioha. 2018) that Europeans have frequently utilized criminal justice systems as a crucial colonial weapon to destroy and delegitimize indigenous peoples’ social structures and political aspirations. It is hardly surprising that the vast majority of initiatives to reduce crime in Nigeria have failed miserably. Politicians ignore the fact that the courts, the English pattern and system of governance, and the adversarial system of justice that was inherited and upheld are major facets of English culture.
People in southwest Nigeria have traditionally valued and believed in using local resources for battle, just like many other groups in Nigeria. The inadequacy of the current enforcement procedures and the rising crime rate in our society have contributed to the continuance of belief in these ideas.
The English social control system established and used in Nigeria is in some ways not very fit to properly govern and control social connections because the lifestyle of Nigerians seems fundamentally different from that of the English or other Europeans. The idea that the country’s “modern” character may be in jeopardy given the observation that the English-based legal system might not be able to guarantee a stable Nigeria after independence. Examining and appreciating the Yoruba’s indigenous approaches to crime control will be based on an awareness of their way of life and their history (Ojedokun U.A & Aderinto A.A 2015). This study will therefore analyze traditional values, beliefs, and dependence on local resources for crime control in contemporary Southern Nigeria on the basis of this premise.
1.2 Statement of problem
Due to poor security measures, crime has remained difficult to regulate in Nigerian society. The official legal system in Nigeria, which is based on English, has so far failed to ensure the safety of the lives and property of the average citizen. In addition, it is relatively pricey, time-consuming, and insensitive to the people’s traditional and indigenous values and beliefs. The effectiveness of traditional and indigenous social control mechanisms, however, has been striking and seems to meet Nigerians’ desire for social order and justice that is less expensive, more swift, and relevant to their culture. Man has spent years trying to figure out the best ways to stop the threat of crime and criminals, but his efforts have been fruitless. Security means a stable, largely predictable, and peaceful environment where people can pursue moral goals without hindrance or harm and without being concerned about disruption or harm. Security issues continue to be an unavoidable phenomenon that affects a startling percentage of peaceful, orderly society; its weakness alone could be disastrously provocative. The policing system has been inadequate in addressing the fears that have crept into rural communities’ crevices and voids, thus the researchers are looking for traditional values, beliefs, and reliance on indigenous resources in Southwest Nigeria today.
1.3 Objective of the study
Examining traditional values, beliefs, and reliance on local resources for crime control in contemporary Southwest Nigeria is the main goal of this study. In particular, it will look at the policing system’s shortcomings and the necessity of enlisting indigenous people in the security system in order to reduce crime on private property.
1.4 Research Hypothesis
H0: In modern Southwest Nigeria, there is little connection between traditional values, beliefs, and dependence on local resources for crime control.
H1: In modern Southwest Nigeria, there is a connection between traditional values, beliefs, and dependence on local resources for crime control.
1.5 Significance of the study
The study will be important for indigenous people, the government, and policy makers. The study will teach decision-makers on the need to create laws that enable locals to take charge of their own security in the event that police are sent to crime scenes late. This will allow them to give useful information and set up controls to reduce local anxieties. The study will inform the government about the necessity of allowing each state to recognize and promote its own indigenous systems for maintaining security, preventing crime, and enforcing general laws as an additional body to the police. Finally, the study will contribute to the body of knowledge on this topic, act as a resource for other researchers, and open up opportunities for additional study in the field.
1.6 Scope of the study
This study’s focus is on modern Southwest Nigeria’s traditional values, beliefs, and use of local resources to combat crime. As a result, the study only uses Amotekun in Oyo State as a case study.
1.7 Limitation of the study
The study came across a number of militating issues that posed as a constraint, including:
Financial constraints – A researcher’s ability to find relevant materials, literature, or information and collect data efficiently is often hindered by a lack of funding (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time restraint: The researcher will do this investigation together with other academic activities at the same time. As a result, less time will be spent on the research project.
1.9 Definition of terms
Traditional Values: According to one definition, traditional values are “beliefs or ideas that are or have been passed down from one generation to successive generations and are believed to be of major importance in life for an ethnic group.”
Indigenous resources: Indigenous resources are assets such as land, money, and labor that belong to the community and are based on indigenous norms for establishing and upholding order in relationships between resource users as well as between people and resources for specific purposes like the ones previously mentioned.
Traditional Values: Traditional values are notions and beliefs that an ethnic community regards as extremely significant to its way of life.
Amotekun: Amotekun is a unique security organization with offices in all six states of South Western Nigeria that is in charge of reducing insecurity in the area. The Yoruba word “amotekun” means “one who resembles a leopard,” with “ekun” standing for leopard. As a result, Amotekun is a proper name for a cheetah.
Crime control: Methods and strategies used to lessen crime in a society are referred to as crime control.
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