Safety under siege: Analysis of Perceived Crime Incidence in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

It has been known worldwide that crime is a major source of social concern in both developed and developing countries.  It is a universal phenomenon which differs only in degree among the various nations of the world. Although, various studies on the incidence of crime in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria, has been documented in the literature, residents’ perception on incidence of crime, and perceived livability of the city, has not been given adequate attention.  This is a major gap in knowledge this present study set out to fill, using Ibadan North Local Government Area, the most cosmopolitan local government area in the city. A multistage sampling technique was used for data collection. The study area was stratified into political wards and 209 questionnaire administered. Five indices developed such as:  Crime Occurrence Index (COI), Causes of Crime Index (CCI), Effects of Crime Index (ECI), Crime Prevention Index (CPI), and Crime Hotspot Index (CHI). The findings showed variation in spatial pattern of crime across residential densities (COI), so the causes (CCI) vary across space. There is a variation on the effect of crime (ECI) on the victims across the residential densities, crime prevention mechanisms (CPI) as revealed by the respondents. Abandoned structure is the major CHI across the study area. Strategies were proposed to reduce occurrence and effects of crime in the study area. This study reveals pervasive crime eroding public trust. It advocates viewing crime as a public health issue, boosting economic opportunities, urban safety, victim support, and community policing.