Title Page Increasing Wave of Violent Crimes in Abia State

TITLE PAGE

INCREASING WAVE OF VIOLENT CRIMES IN ABIA STATE: THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH

UDEAGHA, NDUKA

REG NO: PG/MA/09/51984

DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION AND CULTURAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

DECEMBER, 2011

REQUIREMENT PAGE

INCREASING WAVE OF VIOLENT CRIMES IN ABIA STATE: THE ROLE OF

THE CHURCH

UDEAGHA, NDUKA

REG. NO.: PG/MA/09/51984

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION AND CULTURAL

STUDIES, FACULTY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA,

NSUKKA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

AWARD OF MASTER DEGREE IN RELIGION AND CULTURAL STUDIES

SUPERVISOR: REV. PROF. AGHA UKA AGHA

DECEMBER, 2011 ii

APPROVAL PAGE

This dissertation has been supervised and approved as meeting the requirement for the award of Master of Arts (M. A.) in religion and Cultural Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

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REV. PROF. AGHA UKA AGHA REV. DR. EZECHI ANYA ITUMA

SUPERVISOR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

DATE...... DATE......

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EXTERNAL EXAMINER

DATE......

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CERTIFICATION

We hereby certify that the candidate, Udeagha Nduka with registration number;

PG/MA/09/51984, has duly completed his Master of Arts (M.A.) dissertation.

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SUPERVISOR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

DECLARATION

I, Udeagha Nduka, a post-graduate student of the Department of Religion and Cultural

Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with Registration Number: PG/MA/09/51984, have satisfactorily completed the entire requirement for the award of Master of Arts(M.A.) Degree in Religion and Cultural studies.

The work embodied in this project report is original and has not been submitted in part or full for any other Diploma or Degree of this or any other University.

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SUPERVISOR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

DEDICATION PAGE

This project work is dedicated to God the Father, who has lavished me with divine and dependable love; to my Christ Jesus, who has redeemed me with his blood, extravagant grace and mercy; and to the Holy Spirit, who has been my divine teacher, inspiration and intuition.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In continuous pursuance of my academic objectives, I have incurred a backlog of debts that worth proper acknowledgement. In tandem with this, I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Rev. Prof. Agha U. Agha, whose supervisory assistance and stimulating suggestions have encouraged me throughout the duration of this programme, and helped in putting flesh to bone. He and other academic members of the Department especially, Prof. M.

I. Okwueze, Prof. C.O.T. Ugwu, Rev. Fr. Dr. H. C. Achunike , Ven. Dr. B.C.D. Diara and Dr.

Mrs. A.B. Okoli, have guided and given me the right nudge in the right direction; never accepting anything less than my best efforts. I thank them all.

I have been particularly heartened and gladdened by the deep-seated interest of Prof. and Mrs N. O. Ogbonnaya in my academic attainments. I thank them for the availability of their resources and even going the extra mile with incredible goodwill. They have contributed in no small measure in making my voyage in the ‘Den of Lions’ a huge and resounding success; special thanks to them.

The synergy of academic intercourse between my colleagues and I has been helpful and fruitful. I thank Nwama; for her unremitting willingness to assist, Maxism; for his suggestions, I enjoyed unfettered access to his materials and ‘system’, Onyenaucheya; for always stretching out a helping hand and dropping valuable hints. Madam Nneka, Happiness,

Chinedu (Pastor) and Victor, at different times offered useful suggestions for improvement.

More especially to my family and friends, words cannot express what I owe them, for their love understanding and assistance. Their encouragement enabled me to complete this programme. Chief among these is my mother, Madam Annah Ogbu Onuoha (Nwanyi Jisos) her unequalled love, unmatched concern and unseasoned prayers over me are simply overwhelming. Uche, Ijeoma, Kelechi, Nkechi, Ucha are equally acknowledged for their love and deep interest in my well being. Asogu, Chimdinma, Chinyerem, Chinemerem

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(Korokotom), Chinomnso (Chairman), Ojukwu, Chidiebere, Akudo, Nnamdi(Driver) have all been unstinting in their support, prayers and encouragements.

I would personally consider it a mistake of magnitude proportions, if I fail to acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude to scholars and writers from whose works I derived insightful perceptions. I by no means make claim to be comprehensive. But the multiple references made to their works, speak volume of my indebtedness. As for God, who makes all things possible, words in print can hardly convey the content of my mind. Thus despite the initial diversionary hiccups that greeted and attended this project, it has turned out to be a fait accompli. In God is my glory.

Udeagha Nduka

Department of Religion and Cultural Studies ,

Faculty of the Social Sciences.

University of Nigeria Nsukka.

December, 2011.

viii

ABSTRACT

The search light of this research is beamed on the increasing wave of violent crime in Abia State. The intentness is to highlight and underscore the role of the church as a fundamental institution for inculcating principles and virtues of proper moral conduct as well as foremost agent of social welfare and human development. This has been done by approaching the research in an objective and orderly systematic manner. In fashioning the approach, primary and secondary sources of data collection and observational technique were mostly explored in an analytical manner for circumspection and objectivity. The findings have laid bare the fact that the most devastating social problem challenging peace, security and human development in Abia is the increasing wave of violent crime, which assumed terrifying and horrifying dimensions in 2009, when kidnapping was added to crime equation in the state. And the violent crime epidemic has a lot to do with the living conditions of the people, waning and wobbling moral and ethical system, general inefficient and ineffective leadership. This research will therefore, provide valuable information with regard to the role of the church in the face of these criminal activities. It will provoke and ginger the church to stand to its toes, synergize and assist the state in administering adequate dose of liberation from the menace. It will provide insight for imperative paradigm shift that will assure a quantum leap for the people. This is because no society can really make its economic and political headways, when the ingredients of peace, harmony and social development are conspicuously lacking as witnessed in Abia. No doubt peace is the sin-qua-non to meaningful development.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page ------i Requirement page ------ii Approval page ------iii Certification ------iv Declaration ------v Dedication ------vi Acknowledgements ------vii Abstract ------ix Table of contents ------x Map of Abia State ------xii CHAPTER ONE Introduction ------1 1.1 Background of the Study ------1 1.2 Background of Abia State ------4 1.3 Statement of the problem ------9 1.4 Purpose of the Study ------10 1.5 Research Methodology ------11 1.6 Significance of the Study ------12 1.7 Scope of the Study ------12 1.8 Definition of Terms ------13 CHAPTER TWO Literature Review ------16 2.1 Theories of Crime Causation ------16 2.2 Concepts of Crime ------29 2.3 The Nature of Crime in Nigeria ------32 CHAPTER THREE Major Violent Crimes in Abia State ------38 3.1 Murder ------38 3.2 Extra Judicial Killing ------43 3.3 Kidnapping ------46 3.4 Rape ------52 3.5 Robbery ------56 x

CHAPTER FOUR Causes And Effects Of Crime In Abia State ------59 4.1 Causes ------59 4.1.1 Insecurity ------59 4.1.2 Bad Leadership/Decay Infrastructure ------60 4.1.3 Poverty ------64 4.1.4 Unemployment ------66 4.1.5 Substance Abuse/Proliferation of Arms ------68 4.1.6 Ineffective Family Orientation/Moral Decay ------70 4.1.7 Greed and Materialism ------71 4.2 Effects ------73 4.2.1 Social ------73 4.2.2 Psychological ------76 4.2.3 Economic ------79 CHAPTER FIVE The Roles of the Church ------84 5.1 Social ------85 5.2 Religious ------90 5.3 Socio-economic ------93 5.4 Socio-political ------96 CHAPTER SIX Summary and Conclusion ------102 6.1 Summary of Findings ------102 6.2 Contribution to Knowledge ------103 6.3 Recommendation ------104 6.4 Suggestions for Further Research ------106 6.5 Conclusion ------106 REFERENCES ------108

A MAP OF ABIA STATE OF NIGERIA

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Crime is as old as man. It started according to biblical account between Cain and Abel

(Genesis 4:8), leading to the gruesome murder of the latter by the former. Since then, crime has been present in every society as no society is immune from the cankerworm. It is an inevitable aspect of human society. It impinges on reality, an inescapable commitment of choices and decisions, actions and inactions, omissions and commissions. Though crime is a social reality, what differs is the degree and prevalence of the upsurge and the response mechanism to tackle it.

As a microcosm of that human society, Abia appears to be in the throes of crime epidemic, displaying in the convulsive wave of both violent and non-violent crimes.

However, the wanton escalation of violent crimes has been devastatingly worrisome. The state has recorded unprecedented cases of violent crime. In recent years, Abia has known no peace. The spate of armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, murder, rape etc., in the state has assumed hellish and nightmarish dimensions. The devils of the underworld are always in the saddle holding ‘God’s Own State’, as Abia is fondly called, at the jugular, as they terrorize

Abia and the neighbouring states with relish and reckless abandon. In the glare of everybody, they normally come – kill, steal, destroy and kidnap; and often without let or hindrance.

More worrisome is the fact that those bandits operate with impunity as they can comfortably send threat letters to their would-be victims to inform them of the date and time they are coming to strike. The Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation (HRJPF) noted this and in a press release on June 9, 2010 lamented the situation in the following words:

As an indication that Abia has degenerated to a failed state in Nigeria, armed robbers and kidnappers now give NOTICE before they strike, as vividly shown by the invasion of First Bank P.L.C and fidelity Bank P.L.C, both in Port Harcourt Road, Aba on Wednesday, June 2, 2010. Recall that they had written to inform them of their intention to rob them and eventually did, to chagrin of all. And while the people of Enyimba city, as Aba is fondly called, were still writhing in the pains inflicted on them by last Wednesday’s robbery attack, which culminated in the closure of banks and other financial institutions in Aba; no fewer than eighteen persons were kidnapped along Aba-Ikot- Ekpene Road, Ogbor Hill, Aba yesterday, June 8, 2010.

Whenever they write, they always keep to their promise. They always come at the exact time and succeed, leaving the security agents to be hapless. In their brazen fashion they did even “write letters to all the markets asking people to contribute certain amount of money for them. Most of the markets did and these monies were given to these hoodlums”(www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/kidnap-un). As a result of this soaring criminality and insecurity in Abia, most residents have left and relocated to safer places. “In most cases, people who refused pretended to be either mad or were stricken with strange disease” (www.vanguardngr.com/ 2010/11/kidnap-un).

The rash of criminal activities in Abia came to national consciousness on Sunday July

2010. Officials of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) who were returning to their respective bases from the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Union in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, were abducted in Umuafor Ukwu in Obingwa Local Government

Area. This is coupled with the heartless abduction of the fifteen school pupils of Abayi

International School on Monday October 27, 2010. The abduction of these infants expectedly generated a lot of condemnation by UN Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), other international bodies and Nigerians themselves. Sampson and Amodu (2010) reported that the representative of UNICEF in Nigeria Dr Suomi Sakai strongly condemned it; “Under no circumstance would children be the target of violence…Kidnapping children for financial

gain is simply heinous” Also the editorial comment of the Daily Sun October 4, 2010 is worth reflecting upon;

The kidnap of primary school students is not only pathetic but also shameful and deplorable, it shows that the Nigerian society has degenerated and descended so low that pupils can be seized without any compunction. That school children are kidnapped shows the bleak security situation in a 21 st century Nigeria. The act is highly reprehensible and presents a heinous crime against humanity, childhood and innocence. It is indeed a crime against children who are the future hope of the nation. Those that indulge in this inhuman act are indirectly mortgaging the future of this country.

Although like some other states in Nigeria, Abia had been experiencing criminal activities.

One can still recall that it was at the height of criminality in Aba that the famous Bakassi group was formed in November, 1998. However the frightening dimension it has assumed requires extra ordinary measure. Kidnapping which started in the Niger Delta area as a means of calling government attention to the neglect of the oil producing region, has unfortunately become a lucrative enterprise in Abia. In its editorial of Friday, October 1, 2010 The Nation lamented thus:

It is so rampant that banks close down for days in order to avoid being helpless targets for rampaging robbers. Markets and fast-food outlets are deserted because the patrons know that they could easily be seized by kidnappers if they appear in such places in the wake of these kidnapping, private schools are being shot down as well. Investment and commercial activities have plummeted as businessmen, professionals and other citizens withdraw from the state’s urban areas to safer places.

Corporate and financial institutions especially banks, in order to avert armed robbery attacks have beefed up security around their premises, even to the discomfort of their customers, who are subjected to serious security scrutiny before being allowed into the bank halls to access banking services. In some banks, they even moved bulk money by helicopter when bullion vans became the targets of the hoodlums. It was so disturbing that military task force on internal security operating in Abia State took up the additional responsibility of

providing additional security to banks transferring money from Abia and neighbouring states

(Ugwu 2010).

Against this backdrop, it is obvious that the insecurity scourge has become so bad that no other option is left other than to tackle it decisively and bring it to the barest minimum for the good and progressive growth of the state. And the role of the church as a cultivator of human habits, social catalyst, agent and custodian of public morality has not been properly considered. This work therefore highlights what Catholic Church has been doing, and what

The Church as a religious institution should do generally, in order to address and control the increasing wave of violent crimes in Abia and engender relative peace.

1.2 Background of Abia State

Abia state of Nigeria was one of the areas in the Southern Protectorates that was amalgamated with Northern Protectorate, by Fredrick Lugard on January 1, 1914 as one nation christened Nigeria. The total area presently known as Abia was also part of the then

East-Central state, created by the military Government headed by Yakubu Gowon on 27 th

May, 1967. The area also became part of Imo state created by the Federal military

Government of the late Murtala Mohammed on 3 rd February, 1976.

The agitation for the creation of Abia state began in 1978, which was followed by a memorandum submitted to the Constituent Assembly. Originally what was proposed was Aji state. But the proposal was not successful. On October 1979 the clamour for the creation of new states was rekindled. The late Rt. Hon. Dr. M. I. Okpara and Senator Jaja Wachukwu led the delegation to the National Assembly for the creation of Abia state (Chima 2005). Aji was changed to Abia. The name Abia was preferred to Aji and Aba. “Aji was rejected because of its meaning, Aji means war belt, as having overtones of conflict, Aba state was also rejected.

Instead, Abia was unanimously selected” (Chima 2005: 2-3). The name Abia was unanimously adopted as the best option because of what it stood for.

The name “Abia” is an acronym coined from the first letter of the old geo-political divisions that constitute the state.

A - Stood for old Aba division.

B - Stood for old Bende division.

I - Stood for old Isikwuato division.

A - Stood for old Afikpo division (Afikpo was later carved into

Ebonyi state when the later was created on October, 1996).

As an old Igbo word, “Abia” is “the name of some towns or a musical instrument or a doctor. It connotes friendship and cooperation and not conflict” (Chima 2005:3). Abia is also found in the Holy Bible. It is of Hebrew origin which means “God is my father” or “My father is the Lord”. ( www.bible-history.com/links.php ). It is the Greek form of Abijah or

Abijam. The name refers to the head of twenty four courses into which David divided the priest (bible.somd.com/Easton/east002shtml). Abia is also biblical name for men and women.

Some of its variants include: Abiasaph-Exodus6:24; Abiathar- 1Samuel 22:22; Rehabiah -

1Chronicles; Hashabiah -Chronicles 35;29 and Nehemiah 12:21. There is little wonder, Abia is called “God’s Own State” and the people are called “God’s Own People”

Abia state was created on 27 th August, 1991. Abia was carved out of the old Imo state as one of the nine new states created by the Federal Military Government headed by Ibrahim

Badamasi Babangida. It is one of the five states in the South-East geo-political zone of

Nigeria. It is one of the constituent states of Niger Delta. Alphabetically Abia is the number one state in Nigeria. The people are core Igbo. Expectedly people of other ethnic origin as well as some foreign nationals live and work in the state.

Geographically, Abia lies between longitude 04 o and 45 I and 06 o 17 I North, and latitude 07 o 00 I and 08 o 10 I East. It is located East of Imo state. Abia is bounded to the North

West by Anambra, to the North by Enugu, to the North East by Ebonyi. To the East and

South East, Abia is bounded by Cross River and Akwa Ibom states and by Rivers state to the south. It occupies a landmass of 5,833.77 square kilometers from Abuja (ABSEEDS 2005).

Abia is located within the forest belt of Nigeria and the temperature ranges between 20 oC and 36 oC. It has a vegetation of rain forest in the south and the central zone with rich savannah vegetation in the north.

The state comprises seventeen (17) Local Government Areas, namely:

1. Aba North 2. Aba South 3. Arochukwu 4. Bende 5. Ikwuano 6. Isiala Ngwa North 7. Isiala Ngwa South 8. Isikwuato 9. Obingwa 10. Ohafia 11. Osisioma 12. Ugwunagbo 13. Ukwa East 14. Ukwa West 15. Umuahia North 16. Umuahia South 17. Umunnochi

Umuahia is the state capital. Major towns are Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia.

According to 2006 Nigerian Population Census, Abia state had a total population of

2,833,999 (Federal Republic of Nigeria official Gazette). Recently, the population of the state has been estimated to be “Approximately 4.3 million” (www.igbofocus.com/html/abiastate.html ).

The native and indigenous language is Igbo with various dialects, while the official language is English. “Although English is the Nigerian official Language, almost 85% speak 6

and hear English or Pidgin English. The official local Language is Igbo which around 95% of the population speaks” ( www.igbofocus.com/html/abiastate.html ).

Abians like other Igbo people are deeply religious. The common religions are Igbo

Traditional Religion and Christianity. “Abia is dominantly a Christian State; roughly 85% of the people are Christians whereas 10% are traditional believers although about 2% are

Muslims” ( www.igbofocus.com/html/abiastate.html ).

The major occupation of the people of Abia state is Agriculture. It is mostly practiced in the rural areas, involving over 70% of the population (ABSEEDS 2005). Agriculture is induced by the rich soil which stretches most parts of the state. There are three agricultural zones in the state: Aba, Ohafia and Umuahia. Cash crops like palm produce; cocoa, rubber, coffee and coconut are produced. Food crops such as cassava, yam, rice, plantain, and maize, among others are also produced in large quantities. Hunting, livestock and fish farming are also part of the agricultural practices of the people. There are also civil servants, but they represent a very small percentage of the working population.

Another major occupation of the people is trading. The famous Ariaria International market, which is one of the largest markets in West Africa, is in the state, among other markets. Abians are market oriented. They are known and reputed to be highly entrepreneurial and industrious. Large scale industries as well as several medium and small scale industries abound in the state. Aba is the major commercial town of the state and it is widely known as “the commercial nerve centre of Eastern states and Taiwan of Nigeria”

(Abia in Brief 1992:9) in a similar view point ABSEEDS (2005:5) noted that;

The industrial impact of Aba small-scale artisans has earned it the name, Japan of Africa. The products of these micro-industrial concerns are sold all over Nigeria and abroad. People from every part of Nigeria and the West-African sub-region flock to Aba to buy the products.

Thus, “Enyimba City”, as Aba is fondly called is Abia state’s business honey pot. It was where the historical Aba Women Riot of 1929 took place. It is the home of one of the best football clubs in Africa and Nigeria’s most successful football club, the Enyimba

International Football Club. Aba is the melting pot for Igbo tribe. According to Ogbonna

(2011:42)

Even with the 1929 World Economic recession, which ended about 1932, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the old Eastern Nigeria flocked to Aba in search of greener pastures. In Aba they saw and conquered the business world, politics, religion, social life, etc till even and after the 2nd world war.

Little wonder crime rate is very high in Aba area.

Abia has rich cultural heritage which reflects the people’s mode of life. They have norms, customs and practices that have endured over time. These are vividly expressed in the cultural dances and customary festivals. The most prominent is New Yam festival. Prominent among the cultural dances is “Ikperikpe Ogu” (traditional war dance) of the old Bende division. The age-grade system is well practiced in Abia state especially in the Northern zone of the state. The age-grade system serves as vehicle for community development. The Aku,

Ekpe, Mboko, Okonko, and Oboni societies are exclusively for men. There are also women groups which serve as catalysts for societal development. The cultural beauty of Abia is further enriched by the mat-making craft of Uturu in Isikwuato and colourful designs of traditional Akwete cloths of Ukwa East.

In terms of tourist attraction, Abia state is endowed with a number of tourist centers.

Some of them are: museum of colonial history, Aba; The National War Museum, Umuahia;

Ngodo and Uhuchukwu caves, Umunneochi; The Long Juju (Ibina Ukpabi), Arochukwu;

Azumiri Blue River, Ukwa East; The Obu Asaga Ohafia; and Ojukwu Bunker Umuahia.

However, these tourist centres of attraction are yet to be properly developed.

Abia State has a proper network of roads that properly linked it to the rest of the nation. There are federal highways, railway lines and other internal road networks which run through the seventeen local governments. “The state capital is about 60km from Owerri

Airport 120km from Enugu, less than 160km from Port Harcourt International

Airport”(ABSEEDS2005:6 ). Also, Abia State is hooked to telephone and enjoys the services of a number of Global System Mobile (GSM) networks; even in the remote and rural areas.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

The increasing wave of violent crime in Abia state has raised fresh concern about the tottering future of a state that recently appears constantly in turmoil. The ungodly activities of the daredevil hoodlums are not only fast tearing the moral fabric of the ‘God’s Own State’ to shreds but has also sullied her reputation. It confronts and negates power and the smooth running of the state. For some time now, the state has known no peace; with gruesome violent crimes assuming a tempestuous dimension that a day hardly passes without an incident.

In addition to the excruciating condition of Abians as a result of the grotesque picture of underdevelopment, unemployment, poverty and corrupt leadership that characterize the state, the horror, sorrow and grief which violent crimes usually provoke have compounded the woes and multiplied the suffering a hundredfold. The frequency and reckless abandon with which these crimes are unleashed demonstrate the impunity of the criminals and the helplessness of the authorities. The agony of the victims is better left to the imagination.

Economic and social activities in the state have been paralyzed. Investment and commercial activities have plummeted as investors, professionals, businessmen and other citizens withdraw from the state’s crime prone areas to safer places.

The state has been terrorized by these dreaded monsters that both government and the people are now having sleepless nights. Even in the presence of armed security personnel within the state, the blood- dripping monster of violent crimes seem to defy all that and have

continued to lay siege to Abia, even from high pedestals. Most prior researches and literatures focused on governance and leadership, saying virtually nothing about the fundamental institution for moral and social well being. This research is therefore focused on the role of the church as a foremost agent for inculcating principles of proper moral conduct

This work provides imperative paradigm shift that would assure a quantum leap for the people. It highlights and underscores the role of the church as a time tested agent of human and societal development to assist and synergize with the government in administering adequate dose of liberation from the quagmire.

1.4 Purpose of the Study

With great dismay, this study is alarmed by the spinning out of control of the spate of violent crimes in Abia state and the lethality and trauma the perpetrators unleash on their victims across the length and breadth of the state. The security situation in Abia appears to have worsened as a result of leadership incompetence and its attendant excruciating socio- economic penury and debilitating developmental backwardness. So far, it appears that those in the state’s corridors of power lack the capacity or political will to address the cankerworm through the instrumentality of the law and the enforcement agency. However, the case in

Abia is complicated. A vicious circle of poverty and criminality is playing out. Poverty and unemployment bring about the roof top spate of criminality. On the other hand, there are no business opportunities and employment as a result of criminality and the sky high insecurity level. Over time efforts made by the state government and the security agencies appeared to be on ad hoc basis, especially through the involvement and deployment of anti-crime squads.

Though the anti-crime squads have been rendering relatively good services, since crime rate drops considerably whenever and wherever they were deployed. But within a short period of time, the scourge of crime always makes a rebound in the state and usually with greater force, momentum and vengeance. It is therefore incumbent upon this work;

i. to stress the great need for the church to assist the state in all ramifications in evolving a

more durable strategy that will reduce the evil drastically to the lowest ebb and engender

relative peace and meaningful development;

ii. to x-ray the causes and effects of crime on the socio-economic life of the people; iii. to unveil and emphasize the economic dimension of crime as there is close relationship

between crime wave and economic condition of the people; iv. to underline the need to explore every developmental and economic opportunity through

economic empowerment of Abians, which will undoubtedly guarantee job and wages;

v. to highlight and underscore the place of the church as a fundamental institution for

inculcating the principles and virtues of proper moral conduct and as the foremost agent

of social well-being; and vi. to lay bare the fact that if the battle against the rising wave of crime must be won, there

is great need for moral re-birth and attitudinal change.

1.5 Research Methodology

An appropriate framework for any study especially the one that threatens the peace

and security of a society cannot be determined in a careless manner. It is however, dictated by

the nature of the problem to be solved and considerations of research techniques, which will

be approached in objective and orderly systematic manner, so as to enhance the study. Thus

in fashioning the approach to this work primary and secondary sources of data collection

technique is explored. Personal experiences are of immense contributions as the researcher is

nurtured and resident in the area of study, as such have existential and observational

experiences of the scourge. Therefore non-participant observational technique is applied for

objective assessment.

Analytic method played important role as available data are systematically evaluated.

It generated content analysis and circumspection in the examination of violent crime

phenomenon to be properly construed. It makes for objectivity in the x-ray of the causes and

effects of this social evil. Moreover, it helps in the discovery of the critical and indispensable

role of the church in stemming the menacing tide of violent crimes in the state. This research

methodology, therefore, is hoped to stimulate confidence in the validity of information

gathered, and make for proper assessment of the work as an objective and alternative

contribution to crime-fighting technique, peace, stability and development of Abia and by

extension Nigerian society.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This work is necessary owing to the recent spate of increase in violent crimes in Abia state.

The huge damage and monumental loss that can be attributed to this sadistic monster is

unquantifiable.

i. The work will be of immense relevant not only to the government of the state but

government at all levels, who are at times hamstrung as a result of incessant insecurity

threats to see the need of involving the church in fighting crime and insecurity.

ii. The study will identify the causes, and effect of violent crimes in Abia, which is aimed at

assisting security agencies and opinion leaders in analyzing and adopting adequate

strategies or solution to the menace. iii. The work will help to appreciate the fact that the use of force only confronts the

symptoms rather than the cause of crime. iv. It will provide useful information on how to address other related social problems.

v. It will therefore, help to restore the moral foundation, glory and sanctity of Abia, as a

state that prides itself as ‘God’s Own State’. vi. It will ginger and inspire interested researchers who would want to embark on more

studies in respect to the concept discuss in the work especially as related to Abia state.

Moreover, it will be a useful material for further researches.

1.7 Scope of the Study

Abia, God’s Own State and the sky high incidents of violent crime form the scope of this study. In addition to pocket cases of violent crime in the rural communities, more attention is paid to Aba area, the commercial hub center of the state and Umuahia, the state capital, because the preponderance of these crimes take place in these urban areas. Also, more attention is focus on recent years, especially from 2009, when the scourge assumed nightmarish dimension as kidnapping was added to the violent crime equation and criminal activities degenerated beyond the state authorities and also attracted international attention.

Although the search light of this research is beamed in violent crimes, it does not however, suggest that there are no other forms of crime in the state. But the most alarming and terrifying is the present escalation of violent crimes, as criminals are unrelenting in their fury and have terrorized the defenseless people of Abia, with a vast array of violent hardware of sophistication and tactics hitherto unknown to the people. Given the vastness and nature of the study, greater attention is directed on major and prevalent violent crimes in order to prune ambiguity and engender objectivity and effectiveness.

1.8 Definition of Terms

To avoid ambiguity and for clear concept of this study, there is the compelling need to illumine on the key terms that form the study. Therefore, the following terms will be elucidated- Increasing wave; Crime; Violent crime; Church and the role of the church.

Increasing wave: Increasing wave is a phrase. But for clarity and proper comprehension, it will not be out of place to elucidate them as different words.

Increasing is the present participle of increase which means “become or make greater in size amount intensity or degree” while Wave means “something that rises rapidly”

(www.elook.org/dictionary/wave.html ). It therefore, underscores incessant frequency of

violent crime in Abia state. The phrase explains the quick succession of violent crime incidents without let or hindrance in the state.

Crime: Crime is one of the concepts that lack universal definition. This may not be unconnected with the fact that what constitutes a crime varies with time, space, as well as from one society to another.

The Nigerian criminal code, which uses the word offence to refer to crime, defines it in section 2 simply as “an act of omission which renders the person doing the act or making the omission liable to punishment” (Igbo 2006:53)

According to Siegel (2005: 15),

Crime is a violation of a societal rule behaviour as interpreted and expressed by the criminal law, which reflects upon opinion, traditional values, and the viewpoint of people currently holding social and political power. Individuals who violate these rules are subject to sanctions by state authority, social stigma, and lose of status.

Siegel’s definition of crime is adopted here for its holistic approach. It combines the consensus perspective that the criminal law defines crime, the conflict view point about those in a position of power and control and the interactionist concept of stigma. In this wise,

Siegel defines crime as a political, social and economic function of society.

Violent Crimes “These are crime which involved the use of violence” (Igbo 2006:63). Some examples of violent crime in Abia include kidnapping, robbery, murder, and rape

Church: As an English term, “Church is derived from the Greek word Kyriakon, which means something belonging to the Lord” (www. belivers.org/believe/bel137.htm). Albeit, the word church as rendered in the New Testament comes from the Greek term ekklesia which is formed from two Greek words meaning “an assembly” and “to call out” or “called out” Thus

“church is a body of believers who have been called out from the world by God to live as his people under the authority of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23)” (christianity.

about.com/ad/churchand…). Following the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the church began on the Pentecost Day, as recorded in Acts 2.

Today, there are various denominations of the church. Thus the church in Abia just like every other place world over is divided into denominations. The church as used in this study therefore is not a particular denomination as may be suggestive in some cases. Rather it represents the body of Christ. Suffice it to say different denominations but with a common belief and purpose.

The Role of the church here borders on what the church can do, the contributions or services they can render to ameliorate, curb or control the ‘increasing wave of violent crimes in Abia.’

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Theories of Crime Causation

In the study of crime, scholars have propounded various theories that seek to bring out and explain all the causal linkages or factors that are associated with crime. However, irrespective of the theories, there is no single cause or fixed cause of crime, mainly because of the interplay of many factors. Crime appears to be rooted in diversity of causal factors and take a variety of forms, depending upon the situation and society it occurs. Theories are developed in order to explain something, thus it is subject to constant change and varies from generation to generation and from one society to another.

The Demonological Explanation/Demon Causation : Igbo (2007) is of the opinion that demonological theory of crime suggests that demons or evil spirits can take possession of the individual, controlling and pushing him to indulge in outlawed conducts, contrary to his will.

Igbo argued that such explanation assumes that human beings are robot who act on the bidding of the demon inside, without taking into account that human being can decide to reason or act in a particular way. He stresses that social, cultural, political and economic conditions can instigate unlawful behaviours than demons. “It is not possible to locate the parts of the human body where demons or evil spirits inhabit and how they push the individual to engage in unlawful behaviour” (Igbo 2006: 35) However, he pointed that

Nigerians still blame and accuse the devil for deceiving them into engaging in unlawful conduct – “an act of the devil”.

Although it is not contestable that certain situations and conditions can instigate deviant and criminal behaviours. But it is little surprising, Igbo coming from the sociological point of view is seemingly oblivious of the demonological modus operandi. Hence he convincingly dismissed with a wave of the hand the possibility of demons or evil spirits

inhabiting or possessing an individual. He is rash of the fact that spirits as it were can hardly be seen with physical eyes. The matter of spirits cannot be proved through the process of empiricism or any other known scientific method. Moreover, there have been cases, where demons are cast out from individuals and they come back to their right frame of mind. An example is the biblical case of Legion (Mark 5:1-17).

Biological Theories of Crime Causation: The biological theorists posit that criminal behaviour is largely influenced by biological factors. They believe that criminal genes cause criminal behaviour. Thus criminals are identifiable through physical characteristics or genetic makeup. The biological factor has many variants. Some of the biological variants include positivism.

Positivism: Gaines et al (2001) are of the opinion that the Italian physician Cesare Lombroso

(1835-1909) was an early adherent of positivism who is known as “father of criminology”

According to Gaines et al (2001:55) Lombroso theorized that:

Criminality was similar to mental illness and could be genetically passed down from one generation to generation in families that has cases of insanity, syphilis, epilepsy, and even deafness. Such individuals according to Lombroso and his followers had no free choice when it came to wrongdoing.

The positivists believe in the biological determinism that individual abnormalities are indicators of potential criminal behaviour. Igbo (2007) noted that Lombroso observed criminals as ‘atavists’ or genetic throwbacks to earlier kind of humans - the primitive savage.

They are low in evolutionary scale as such has inability to be law abiding. “This criminal- type can be distinguished from non-criminals by such physical peculiarities or stigma as excessive long arms, eye-defect, large jaws, and cheekbones, retreating fore-head, hairiness, unusually large or small ears etc”(Igbo 2007:38). In line with this observation, Lombroso identified three criminal types

i) The born criminals: They are the ‘atavists’ or living remnants of the primitive

savage for whom crime was inevitable way of life.

ii) The insane criminals: These are those who committed one type of crime or the

other because of brain damage disease or underdevelopment. Among these are the

insane, imbeciles, morons, idiots in addition to those suffering from melancholia,

dementia, alcoholism, epilepsy, hysteria and degeneracy as whole.

iii) The criminaloids: They consist of large number of law-abiding citizens who could

contravene the law under extreme conditions over which they do not have much

choice.

Igbo further noted that other members of positive school who believed in scientific and empirical criminology include Enrico Ferri (1856-1929) and Raffaele Gerofalo (1852-1934).

While Ferri advanced the idea that crime was caused by multiple factors, which include environmental, anthropological, social and economic conditions, Garofalo posits that criminal behaviour is a consequence of social defects in the individual. The threesome of Lombroso,

Ferri, and Garofalo are often referred together as “the holy three of criminology” (Siegel

1983:127; Igbo 2007:40). Indeed, others followed in the tradition that Lombroso began.

Dambazau (2007) noted that Enerst Hooton, anthropologist, believed in Lombroso’s theory of born criminal. Hooton’s observation was based on his measurement and analysis of physical characteristics of criminals. According to Schmalleger (1997:85)

Hooton had spent 12years constructing anthropometric profiles of 13,873 male convicts in ten different American states. He measured each inmate in 107 different ways and compared them to 3, 203 volunteers from National Guard units, firehouses, beaches, and hospitals.

Hooton’s conclusion was that the cause of criminal behaviour was the physical inferiority of the criminal compared to the non-criminal. “Hooton’s study was for its nature and design”

(Dambazau 2007:60).To Hooton criminals are low-grade human beings who should be prevented from polluting other members of the society.

Schmalleger (2007) observed that Charles Goring and Karl Pearson conducted a test on

Lombroso’s atavism on more than 3,000 prisoners and compared them along physiological criteria to an army detachment known as Royal Engineers. No significant difference were said to be found between the two groups as such Lombroso’s idea began to wane.

Criminal Families/ Genetic Approaches : Schmalleger (2007) observed that the concept of biological inheritance has been applied to ‘criminal families’ as well as individuals. Richard

Dugdale was said to have first explored mental degeneration as an inherited contributor to crime. He made a study of families of people with bad reputations. Heirs of this family are persons most of whom are “social degenerates”, only very few were productive progeny. The belief that people inherit behavioural patterns and certain character of their parents has been an age long belief. According to Igbo (2007:41)

This belief appears to be widely held in the less developed societies of Africa and Asia. The saying “like father like son”, best summarizes this viewpoint. In effect, if a man was a notorious criminal during his lifetime, one or more of his children would be expected to follow his footsteps as a result of genetic inheritance.

Suffice it to say that crime is an outlet for degenerate urge, produced and propagated through the social group by bad genetic material. Thus the biological theories of crime causation lay the cause of crime to fundamental biological characteristics.

Psychobiological/ Chromosome theory : Dambazau (2007) revealed that in the 1960s, a number of convicted males were found to possess unusual configuration of XYY chromosomes, and their pattern of behaviour was characterized as violent and aggressive. A typical female has XX chromosome pattern, a male has Y chromosome in a place of the second X. The difference between female and male is the Y chromosome. However, an extra

Y chromosome XYY is said to lead to aggressive behaviour, which could lead to criminality

(Igbo 2007). They are said to possess a number of specific physical and psychological traits, such as height, thinness, acne, a tendency toward homosexuality, a somewhat low IQ

(Schmalleger 2007). These groups of people have the tendency to commit a succession of crimes and are more aggressive than other male.

Classical Crimonology : According to Akers and Sellers (2004), Classic criminology refers to a belief that a crime is committed after an individual weighs the pros and cons. The classical school of criminology thought, sees human beings as fundamentally rational and most human behaviours is a product of free will coupled with rational choice. Pain and pleasure are the two chief determinants of human behaviour. As such, punishment as a necessary evil is at times required to deter law violators as well as deterrent to other intending violators.

This theory was inspired by Cesare Baccaria (1738-1794) Baccaria’s contributions help to form the basis for the classic theory of crime, a school of thought that influenced the French

Revolution and the establishment of the Eight Amendment in the United states constitution.

According to Schmalleger (1997) Beccaria believed in the thoughtful exercise of free will and that punishment should be just strong enough to offset the tendency toward crime.

Punishment should be sufficient to deter, never excessive. Punishment should be well suited for the crime. This punishment should be severe enough to outweigh the personal benefits gained from committing the crime.

Another contributor to the classical doctrine was Jeremy Benthman. According to Igbo

(2006) Bethman believed that any person is capable of acting criminally but what determines if the criminal option is activated in individual is the level of deterrence measure applied by the society.

In the light of the above, classic theory explains the causation of crime by assuming that after evaluating certain obvious personal choice in the process of decision making; that determines the individuals commission of a crime.

Psychological Theories of Crime Causation: Psychological theories emphasize the role of emotional or personal problems and mental pathology in the genesis of criminal behaviour

(Igbo 2007). The theorists are of the view that individual differences in behaviour may make some people more predisposed to committing criminal acts. According to Akers and Sellers

(2004:15), it is a “general perspective that looks to the psychological functioning, development and adjustment of individual in explaining deviant or criminal acts”. Thus individual differences may arise from personality characteristics, social interactions or biological factors.

Psychoanalytic theory : Sigmund Feud (1853-1937) is credited with the development of psychoanalytic theory. This theory rests on the belief that human personality is made up of three parts

1. The Id, which controls sexual urges.

2. The ego, which controls behaviour that leads to the fulfillment of the id.

3. The superego, which is directly related to the conscience and determines which action

are right and wrong in the context of a person’s environment (Ganies et al 2001:57-

58).

The theorists believed that people who exhibit criminal behaviour have an overdeveloped superego. Gaines et al (2001:58) observed that “A strong ego leads to feelings of guilt that a person commits a crime in order to be punished; alternatively, a weak superego means that a person cannot control his or her violent urges”. Thus, every individual has a natural drive and urges repressed in the unconscious. In the light of the above analysis, Dambazau (2007:69) noted that “Crime is therefore a result of an “imbalance conflict” between Id- ego-superego”.

A child who is not properly socialized may develop a personality that causes the child the direct antisocial impulses outward or inward. The child who directs them inward becomes neurotic while the child who directs them outward becomes deviant and criminal.

Psychopathology: According to Akers and Sellers (2004:15), this refers to the study of “a variety of antisocial personality disorder”. The theorists posit that crime can also occur as a result of diseased mind or disordered personality - psychopathy. Schmalleger (1997) noted that the role of disordered personality in crime causation is central to early psychiatrists theorizing. He recalled 1914, when David Abrahamsen observed that “when we seek to explain the riddle of human conduct in general and of antisocial behaviour in particular, the solution must be sought in the personality” (Schmalleger 1997:91). In tandem with this analysis Igbo (2007:43) argued that “Societal reactions to these mentally deficient criminals sometimes involved sterilization and castration to prevent them from procreation and subsequent reproduction of their like”. The psychopath is often without thought to accurately imagine the suffering of the victim and how others feel.

Behavioural theory - The theorists posit that behaviour is learned and maintained by its consequences, notably reward or value. According to Schmalleger (1997) this theory holds that the frequency of any behaviour, including that which is criminal or deviant, can be increased or decreased through reward, punishment and/ or association with other stimuli.

Behaviours are acquired, maintained or changed by the process of interaction with others.

According to Akers and Sellers (2004:18) “Criminality is basically the result of engaging in inappropriate behaviours exhibited by those with whom we interact”. Criminal behaviour, which may be inherently rewarding under many circumstances like kidnapping, robbery tend to be more common in those criminal minded elements who think they are smart and will not be caught in the act.

Sociological Theories: Sociological theories of crime causation explain criminal behavior essentially to the impact and influence of social environment and forces on individual member of the society. There are many classifications of sociological theories of criminal behaviour; some of them will be reviewed in this work.

Social Disorganization Theory : Akers and Sellers (2004) are of the view that social disorganization refers to the breakdown in traditional social control and organization in the society, community, neighbourhood, or family so that deviant and criminal activity result.

That is to say that deviant behaviour is more likely in communities where social institutions such as family, school, and criminal justice system fail to exert control over the generality of the members of the society.

Gaines et al (2001) in their contribution on social disorganization theory of crime causation see crime as largely a product of unfavorable conditions in certain communities. It is related to the environmental pressures that exist in certain communities and neighbourhoods. These areas they argue are marked by the desire of many of their inhabitants to “get out” at the first possible opportunity. Consequently, residents tend to ignore the important institutions in the community such as business and education, causing further erosion and an increase in the conditions that lead to crime.

Igbo (2007) in his contribution of social disorganization theory narrowed it down to Africa with more attention on Nigerian social environment especially the Igbo cultural area. He sees it as a time of confusion disorientation and disillusionment. He sees it as the theme of

Achebe’s (1958) Things Fall Apart , where the social bond that holds people together is disorganized. This is exemplified by the white man’s activities in Africa including Nigeria which disorganized many aspects of traditional ways of life and even criminalized them.

Wherever there is social disorganization, there is always increase in crime. According to Igbo

(2007:46-47)

It can be argued for example, that the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970), led to massive social disorganization in the country, particularly among the breakaway people of Biafra. The civil war, which was seen by the secessionists as a way of survival, led to the jettisoning of many time honoured behavioural patterns including the traditional abhorrence of the spilling of the blood of innocent persons. The war also caused young men and women to liberate themselves from the consequences for discipline and morality leading to a massive increase in rape, prostitution, theft, armed robbery, and murder of innocent persons.

It is therefore, obvious that social disorganization like wars can increase crimes because it undermines social integration. Thus the structure of a society, and its relative degree of organization and disorganization, are important factors that can increase the wave of crime.

Strain Theory : Strain theory has its roots in the works of French sociologist Emil Durkheim

(1858-1917) and his concept of anomie (derived from the Greek word for “without norms’)

(Gaines et al 2001:60) Anomie according to Akers and Sellers (2004: 27) is “a state of normlessness or norm confusion in the society” Durkheim believed that anomie resulted when social change threw behavioural norms into a flux, leading to a weakening of social controls and an increase in deviant behavior. According to Giddens et al (2005:175)

Anomie exists when there are no clear standards to guide behaviours in a given area of social life. Under such circumstances, Durkheim believed, people feel disoriented and anxious; anomie is therefore one of the social factors influencing dispositions to suicide.

To Durkheim crime is a social fact an inevitable and necessary element of society as no society would ever be in complete consensus about the norms and values that govern it.

Another sociologist, American Robert K. Merton, expanded on Durkheim’s ideas in his own theory of strain. Merton believed that anomie was caused by a social structure in which all citizens have similar goals without equal means to achieve them. (Gaines et al

2001:60) Merton modified the concept of anomie to refer to strain on individual’s behaviour, especially when same goals and means held out by society were not equally available to everyone. “Merton had reasoned that if a person’s cultural goals are thwarted through the

application of legitimate means, he may adopt illegitimate methods in the alternative”

(Ugwuoke2010:88). Merton therefore identified five modes of reaction.

According to Schmalleger (1997:94), these are:

• Conformists: they seem to accept both the goals and means which society held out as

legitimate.

• Innovators; they accepted the goals but rejected the means. They are innovators in the use

of illegal means to gain money, power, and success.

• Ritualists; they rejected social goals, but still performed their tasks in conformity with

social expectations. They might hold regular job but without the desire to advance in life.

• Retreatists; they reject both the goal and the means, and usually dropped out of society by

becoming derelicts, drug users, or the like.

• Rebels; they desire to replace the existing system of socially approved goals and means

with some other system more to their liking.

Smalleger (1997:95) added that Merton believed that the categories were not intentionally selected by the individuals, who occupied them, but were imposed on people by structural aspects of society. Such factors as where they lived, how wealthy their families were, and what ethnic background they came from were all thought to be significant determinants for adaptation.

Differential Association : In 1939, Edwin Suntherland (1883-1950) formalized his theory of differential association, a perspective which he based upon the “laws of imitation” describe by Gabriel Tarde (Schmalleger 1997:97). Differential association is theory of crime and delinquency. Gaines et al (2001) posit that this theory held that individuals are exposed to values from family and peers such as school friends or co-workers. If dominant values one is exposed to favour criminal behaviour, then that person is more likely to mimic such

behaviour. This is more so in a familial relationship, a child is more likely to commit crimes if the child sees an older sibling or a parent doing so.

Suchmalleger (1997:97) revealed that in the 1947 edition of his text Sunderland wrote

“criminal behaviour as a part of human behaviour, has much in common with non-criminal behaviour, and must be explained within the same general framework as any other human behaviour”. However, Schmalleger on his own understood the theory of differential association as a natural consequence of the interaction with criminal life styles. Thus children raised in crime-prone environments were often isolated and unable to experience the values which would otherwise lead to conformity. A typical example of such area in Abia is ‘ Ama

Mmon ’, Ngwa Road area of Aba. Schmalleger listed Suntherland Principles of Differential

Dssociation as follows:

1.Criminal behaviour is learned

2.Criminal behaviour is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of

communication.

3.The principal part of the learning of criminal behaviour occours within intimate personal

groups

4.When criminal behaviour is learned, the learning includes (a) techniques of committing the

crime, which are sometimes very complicated, something very simple and (b) the specific

direction of motives drives, rationalization, and attitudes.

5.The specific direction of motives and drives is learned from definitions of the legal codes

as favourable or unfavourable.

6.A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favourable to violations

of laws over definitions unfavourable to violations of law.

7.Differential associations may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity.

8. The process of learning criminal behaviour by association with criminal and anti criminal

patterns involves all the mechanisms that are involved in any other learning.

9.While criminal behaviour is an expression of general needs and values, it is not explained

by those general needs and values, since noncriminal behaviour is an expression of the

same needs and value.

Although differential association did not adequately explain some crimes which can be impulsive and do not require special technique to execute, it explains some others that require such professional skills as seen in Abia, kidnapping and armed robbery fall into this category.

Social Control Theory : Akers and Sellers (2004) see it as those elements that keep an individual from committing a criminal or deviant act. Examples include the family church and school. In his explanation of the kernel of the control theory, Ugwuoke (2010:109) quipped that;

Sigmund Freud (1856-1930) proposed in his psychoanalytic theory that man is perpetually in conflict with his inner drives and motives. These inner drives, urges, temptations, hostilities motives desires e.t.c., are so strong according to Freud that they can propel or lead us into delinquent or criminal behaviours. Some hour however we manage to overcome or at least stifle or resist to succumb to these feelings. The question of why and how we fail to yield to these inner desires and motives are the subject matter of the control theory.

Although individuals from what can be deduced above have the tendency to commit crimes, they are dissuaded from doing so because of the individual’s value to his society or what will be people’s reaction.

In the view of Schmalleger (1997) Travis Hirschi emphasizes the bond between individuals and society as the primary operative mechanism in his social control theory; he submitted that Hirschi identifies four components of that bond.

(1) Emotional attachment of significant others,

(2) A commitment to appropriate lifestyles,

(3) Involvement or immersion in conventional values, and

(4) A belief in the “correctness” of social obligations and rules of the larger society. These

components he argued, act as social controls on deviant and criminal behavior, as they

weaken, social control suffers and the likelihood of crime and deviance increases.

This theory emphasizes much on the compelling need for the role of the church which will be far-reaching and pervasive. This is because in Abia State and Aba in particular those hoodlums are less attached to religious organizations and families and consequently have few positive attitudes toward their own accomplishments; little wonder they engage in crime and deviant behaviours. Thus criminality thrives when the influence of one’s religious organization is ineffective.

Labeling Theory : According to Akers and Sellers (2004) labeling theory is “the theory that the formal and informal application of stigmatizing and deviant “lebels” or tags applied to an individual by society will not deter, but rather instigate future deviant or criminal acts”. It focuses on perceptions of criminal behaviour rather than the behaviour itself. Gaines et al

(2001) posits that the labeling theories study how being labeled a criminal – a “whore”, or

“junkle” or a “thief” - affects that person’s future behaviour. They submit that Howard

Becker contends that deviance is “a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an offender. The deviant is one to whom that label has successfully been applied; deviant behaviour is behaviour that people do label” (Gaines et al 2001:62). Their position is that, it is such labeling that some criminologists believe becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In the view of Giddens et al (2005:177)

Once a child is labeled a delinquent, he is stigmatized as a criminal and likely to be considered untrustworthy by teachers and prospective employers. He then relapses into further criminal behaviour, widening the gulf with orthodox social conventions.

The thrust of this theory is that society creates crime and criminals by labeling certain behaviour and certain people as deviant. The stigma inherent in this social process excludes a person from the community, thereby increasing chances that the individual will adopt the label as his or her identity and as a result engage in deviant or criminal behaviour. By implication, one can suppose that in Abia, a child labeled ‘nwa ojoo’ (bad child), will begin to consider himself or herself a deviant and continue the criminal behaviour for which the child has been labeled ‘nwa ojoo’.

2.2 Concepts of Crime

Igbo (2007) clarified on the concept of crime and the concept of ‘deviance’ He argued that the two concepts though related, but do not mean the same thing. He is of the view that crime refers to any conduct that violates criminal law, for which punishment is prescribed and administered by the state, while deviance refers to behaviour that violates social norms, including law. Deviance deals with the violation of group norms, which may not be formalized into law.

Thus, crime is part and parcel of deviance. This means that deviance or deviant behaviour is all embracing concepts which include all acts of conducts that are considered undesirable or morally wrong, whether or not they are prohibited by the law, they are not crimes. If, however, they are prohibited by the law, they are referred to as crimes (Igbo 2007:13).

In other words, deviant behaviour is behaviour that departs from social norms including religious norms, legal norms, health norms, and cultural norms (Siegel 1992). Therefore, it is a crime or criminal behaviour only when deviant behaviour violates legal norms.

Igbo (2007) distinguished crime from sin and other acts of wickedness or immorality.

He is of the view that what the church considered a ‘sin’ may or may not constitute a crime.

For instance Murder is considered a sin and it is also a crime, but not all sins constitute crime.

Indeed, it is a sin for a Christian to engage in idol worshipping, fornication, or to consult an

oracle. However, these acts do not constitute crimes because they are not forbidden in criminal law.

Before an act can be considered a crime, there are certain conditions that have to be present. Hall (1960) described seven conditions, otherwise known as ‘seven differentiation which can make an act crime. These conditions was further summarized by Surtherland and

Cressey (1978: 13-14) as follows

1. There must be harm or injury inflicted on some other person(s) by the actor

2. The act must be prohibited by the criminal law, at the time it was committed

3. There must be intentional or reckless conduct, which causes the harm or injury directly or

indirectly (actus reus).

4. There must be mens rea or criminal intent on the part of the actor when he/she decided to

engage in the act. The intention or the motive of the actor must be shown to be deliberate

in engaging in the outlaw conduct.

5. There must be a coincidence of actus reus and mens rea. The mental element (criminal

intent) must correspond with the physical element (the harmful conduct).

6. There must be a causal relationship between the outlawed harm and the voluntary

misconduct. This means that if A shot B and B died later in the hospital from typhoid

fever, there is no direct link between the gunshot wound and the death of B.

Consequently, A cannot be held liable for the death of B.

7. There must be legally prescribed punishment for the outlined conduct. If there is no

legally sanctioned punishment for the conduct, that conduct does not constitute a crime.

Another Igbo (2006) stressed on two major competing views on the concept of crime.

These are sociological conception of crime and legalistic conception of crime. The sociological conception canvassed the view that crime should be broadly seen as all forms of deviancy or anti-social behaviour in general, including morally aberrant conducts and

parasitic behaviours. Thus any act or behaviour that violates the normative rules of behaviour of a society should be seen as a crime. In this conceptualization, any person who breaks any of the rules or norms of behaviour by which society is governed should be seen as a criminal.

The legalistic conceptualization sees crime purely in a legal sense to refer to only acts or conducts which violates the provisions embodied in the criminal law of society. The dividing line between what should be seen as crime and non-crime are codified in the criminal law. “According to the legalistic view, a criminal would be a person who breaks any of the laws contained in the criminal statutes. Or put differently, a person who engages in acts which are prohibited by the criminal law”. (Igbo 2006: 52-53). This conceptualization limits crime to acts which are legally prohibited. Acts that are not legally prohibited are classified as non-crimes. Criminologists therefore study crime under the legalistic frame of reference.

Siegel (2005) in his concept of crime sees it from political, social and economic function of modern life. He treated the consensus, the conflict and the interactionist views of crime. Generally crime is a behaviour that all elements of society consider to be repugnant.

Everybody in the society the mighty and the lowly, irrespective of status and influence are believed to be in consensus on which behaviours are so repugnant that they should be outlawed and criminalized. The beliefs and opinions of the society mainstream are therefore reflected upon the criminal code. Consensus in this regard implies general agreement among a majority of citizens on what behaviour should be prohibited and viewed as crimes. As such the law and its effects apply equally to every member of the society.

The conflict view depicts society as a collection of diverse groups who are in a continuous conflict. But the groups who are able to assert their political power use both the law and criminal justice system to advance their social and economic positions. Siegel (2005:

14) observed that;

Criminal laws, therefore are viewed as acts created to protect the haves from the have nots. Conflict criminologists often contrast the harsh penalties exacted on the poor for their “street crimes” (burglary, robbery and larceny) with the minor penalties the wealthy receive for their white-collar crimes (security violations and other illegal business practices). Whereas the poor go to prison for minor law violations, the wealthy are given lenient sentences for even the most serious breaches of the law.

Honestly the picture painted above is holding sway in Nigeria. Those in the position of power commit all sorts of atrocities and contravene the constitution of Nigeria without being tried, let alone prosecution. But in the Nigeria prisons are even some innocent people who committed no offence actually, but are on awaiting trials for years, while the powerful culprits and criminals go around unchallenged.

Consequently, the interactionist view conceives crime from the social power that uses their influence to impose their definition of what constitutes crime on the rest of the population. “They maintain their power by stigmatizing or labeling people who fall outside their definition of right and wrong. Criminals therefore are individuals that society labels as outcasts or deviants because they have violated social rules” (Siegel 2005: 14). The interactionist conception of crime therefore is of the view that criminal behaviour is defined by the values of those with social power, which they are also to impose on society as a whole.

2.3 The Nature of Crime in Nigeria

Ugwuoke (2010) is of the view that there might be as many crimes as there are criminals in Nigeria. He sees Nigeria as a nation that is thriving in delinquent and criminal adventures. The nature of crime in Nigeria may be understood against the backdrop of the country’s socio-political and historical background. He maintained that the crime situation in

Nigeria can rightly be attributed to the influence of rapid social change which is a function of interplay of a number of social factors. These factors exposed the country to a wide diversity of anti-social influences.

Confronted with the pervasive nature of crime Ugwuoke (2010:187-188) asked rhetorically;

Do we start with the frightening and incessant media reports on armed robbery operations, political assassinations, thuggery, rage arson, cultism and such related violent crimes? Do we ascribe more importance to issue of examination malpratices, sexual harassment, sorting and inflation of marks by students and lecturers? Do we rather commence our discourse with the morally debasing crimes of prostitution, incast, child sexual abuse, ritual murder, trafficking in children and women etc? is it not more tempting to start with white collar crimes such as corruption, fraud and embezzlement of public funds by politicians and public office holders which have been elevated to dangerous proportions in Nigeria? In fact, the list is endless…..

From the ongoing, it seems the Nigerian nation has provided a veritable and conducive social environment for various types of criminal activities to thrive. The culture is not just compromising and permissive but it has seemingly evolved criminality as integral part of it.

On his own, Igbo (2007) traced crime from the traditional Nigerian society through the modern Nigeria. In the traditional society, crime consisted of serious violations of standardized ways of behaving, customs and traditions of the various communal groups.

Traditional crimes or offences, which were generally regarded as “abominations”, include murder, theft, adultery, rape, incest and suicide. Offenders in these categories of crime were usually severely punished. This was sometimes extended to their families and close relatives. Even those who committed suicide were “punished” by not giving them a decent burial and the families were forbidden to conduct the usual burial and morning ceremonies for the deceased. Any affected family which violated such injections, was in danger of being ostracized by the group until reparations and necessary purification and cleansing rituals were undertaken by the family. (Igbo 2007:146)

Consequent upon the above, extended families in the traditional setting kept close vigilance of the activities of individual members of the family to avoid bringing “bad name” to the family.

Igbo also distinguished three major types of offences in the traditional society.

Offences against individuals which include, assault, stealing, murder and serious breaches of

trust; offences against the community which include aiding and abetting enemies of the community, witch craft as well as murder, adultery and incest; offences against the gods or spirit world which include desecration of sacred places and shrines and the killing of sacred animals associated with shrines and earth goddess. In the traditional Nigerian society crime level was relatively low compare to the modern Nigeria. This may be largely due to the fear of the gods and ancestors, who can strike with various degrees of misfortunes and calamites.

In the modern Nigeria, Igbo (2007) also observed that “Wasternization” and modernization have weakened the traditional social bond of extended family, communal sharing and the practice of being ones brothers’ keeper. These traditional values have been replaced with individualism and private accumulation of wealth with calamitous consequences for order and social control. It has escalated and led to the emergence of crimes that were unknown in traditional Nigerian society

The relatively unknown crimes include “pick pocketing, drug abuse, counterfeiting, fraud, forgery, Car theft, reckless driving, smuggling, wandering, unlawful possession of dangerous weapons, prostitution, and white collar crime…. Other crimes such as rape, child stealing and adultery, which were relatively uncommon, have become prevalent in modern Nigeria (Igbo 2007:148)

No doubt in the contemporary Nigerian society crime rate is increasingly alarming, prevalent and permissive. Crime is now a lucrative vocation hence the emergence of hitherto unknown criminal acts in the traditional Nigerian society like kidnapping, suicide bombing and pure terrorism.

Dambazau (2007) is also of the opinion that what constitutes a crime varies in time and space and from one society to another. In some cases where different societies view particular act as crime, the gravity or seriousness to which each of them views the act may differ.

He also suggests that crime is consisting of two basic elements in criminal law, the actus reus and the mens rea. The actus raw is the physical element or guilty act, and it requires proof. A situation there is no actus reus, there is no crime. With the exception of the mental element, it includes all the elements in the definition of crime. “The actus reus could be made up of conduct, its consequences and the circumstances in which the conduct takes place” (Dambazau 2007: 48 – 49).

While mens rea, is the mental element or the guilty mind. If a man desired or foresaw something, he is said to intend doing it. It is basically the intention. For all crimes mens rea is not required. He argued that there is no singular definition of mens rea because every crime has its own mens rea , it must be proven that an individual carefully, behaved in a given manner that resulted to an act. “Crime can be dichotomized into serious and minor; felony and misdemeanor; mala in se and mala prohibitum, crimes against persons and crimes against property; etc”. (Dambazau 2007: 49). Whichever, it is regrettable to admit that no matter how crime is dichotomized virtually all manner of crime exists in Abia. But the more worrisome is the exponential increase in violent crime.

Umeagbalasi (2010) with more attention to South East of the country identified kidnapping, armed robbery and extortion as the most ravaging crimes in the Southeast-

Nigeria.

He is of the view that aiming them the crime of kidnapping is more ravaging and juicier. He divided the crime of kidnap into two, namely high profile and low profile categories.

High profile kidnap deals with that of the super rich or highly influential persons or their loved ones, and each of them reportedly coughs out between N12 million and N50 million to N70 million. The latter is more sophisticated and professionalized. It has webs, from some business moguls and dare-devil politicians, who fiancé them for economic and political gains, top security personnel, who provide cover for them; to the executioners themselves. They also make good use of

advanced technological devices as well as disguised agents such as Okada riders/phone boot operators/street hawkers. The inferior category places on, and collects from those kidnapped between N50, 000 and N1 million. Those in this category are, drawn from street urchins to serving and ex-operatives of motley of vigilante groups operating in the southeast Nigeria as well as habitual criminals. (Umeagbalasi 2010: np)

The crime of kidnapping is followed by the crime of armed robbery, which mostly thrives on the altar of banking industry. This also involves highway shooting and killing, whereby the armed robbers operate unmolested, shooting and killing with reckless abandon.

In Umegbalasi’s hierarchy of crime in the Southeast, the third most ravaging crime is the crime of extortion. It is deeply rooted in the Nigerian Police Force, and to some extent, the vigilante groups.

Igbo and Anugwom (2001) see crime as a ferocious social problem in Nigeria. They argued that Nigeria does not just have a “crime-problem” but a serious crime problem”. This is derivable from the general and pervasive feeling of insecurity of lives and properties among Nigerians in some of the commercial cities like Lagos, Benin, Port Harcourt, Aba and so on, armed robbery; pick-pocketing; car theft; hired killing; cheating with false pretenses and burglary flourished like big-time business. At a time Onitsha in Anambra State was a no- go-area for non-residents. In their analysis, Igbo and Anugwom (2001:104) observed that;

An example of a crime that poses a serious social problem in Nigeria is armed robbery which involves the use of fire arms or any other offensive weapon (Iorn, bow and arrow, cutlass, etc.) for purposes of depriving or attempt to deprive others of their lawful possessions. Very often, armed robbery victims not only lose their property, they may also lose their lives or sustain serious bodily injuries in the encounter, and may become temporarily or permanently disabled.

They argued that armed robbery was not a problem prior to 1967 when the Nigerian civil war started but it became the most deadly and dreaded crime immediately the war ended in January, 1970 till date. This is irrespective of the “Robbery and Firearms (special prevision) Decree No. 47 of 1970” (Igbo and Anugwom 2001:105), which provides for capital punishment and long-term imprisonment for offenders.

From all indications armed robbery and other violent crimes are on the increase, they become more ruthless, tactical reckless as the day passes by. Going by the social change and social problem point of view in Igbo and Amugwom’s thesis, one can emphatically say that the social change occasional by the increasing injustice, unemployment and poverty, has brought about criminality in the upward swing.

Dambazau (2007) in his essay on the nature of crime in Nigeria argued that in addition to the conventional crimes of armed robbery, murder, assault etc, Nigeria has been on the global crime map since 1980s. Nigerian transnational criminal syndicates or networks have been particularly identified with drug trafficking, advance fee fraud (419), human trafficking and money laundering.

In the Nigerian newspapers certain crimes appear to be prevalent. These are armed robbery, advance fee fraud (419), car snatching, drug trafficking, ritual killings, acid baths, fake drugs business, police brutality, and corruption (including bribery, embezzlement and fraud in the public and private sectors).

In Dambazau’s examination of media and crime reporting, with particular attention to print media, the violent crimes reported include murders, attempted murder, armed robbery,

(including bank robberies) which thrives in Abia state, terrorism, genocide, police brutality, ritual killings and political violence; property crimes include theft, vandalization and arson; corruption includes police corruption, bank fraud, embezzlement, ghost workers; other crimes include drug crime, fake or counterfeit drugs, food adulteration, illegal oil bunkering, smuggling and contraband, child labour, human trafficking, impersonation, exam malpractice, cultism, kidnapping and money laundering. The above analysis no doubt provides important sources of information on the nature of crime in Nigeria. Virtually all the above highlighted crimes take place in one fashion or the order in Abia that supposed to be a moral haven going by the slogan of ‘God’s Own State.’

CHAPTER THREE

MAJOR VIOLENT CRIMES IN ABIA STATE

3.1 Murder

Murder is the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. It is the willful taking of another person’s life. In criminal law it is either classified as first-degree or second degree-murder. “First-degree murder is both the intentional and premeditated killing of a person, or as it is sometimes referred to with malice aforethought, which means the killer deliberately killed out of ill will toward the victim”(crime.about.com/../What-Is-Murder.htm).

Second-degree murder is also charged “when the killing was intentional but not premeditated, but also was not done in the “heat of passion”. Second degree murder can also be charged when someone is killed as a result of reckless conduct” (crime.about.com/../What-Is-

Murder.htm)

One of the most inhuman crimes in the state is murder. It is therefore worrisome that every manner of murder both first-degree and second-degree has been taking place in Abia.

Blood thirsty hoodlums commit it willfully and wantonly. In fact it is the worst kind of violent crimes in the State, in that it is a brutish termination of lives and destinies. Scores of people have been murdered in cold blood.

Increase rate of murder in the State has continued to heighten the already intense atmosphere of fear created by unabated violent attacks. It keeps rattling ordinary Abians who are yet to come to terms with the inability of the police and other security agencies to unravel and persecute the murderers. “This is because the security operatives saddled with the responsibility of unraveling the killers have always had one excuse or another in creating an alibi for their inefficiency” (Olabulo 2010: np). There has been series of unresolved murder cases throughout the state. In most case the security agents that supposed to protect lives and properties are deeply involved.

There has been endless list of first and second-degree murders in the state. The upsurge in the number of murder cases in Abia may not be unconnected with the growing culture of political thuggery and vigilante anomalous activities and recklessness. Thuggery has become an acceptable practice among the political class and it is overtly used as a formidable weapon of politicking.

Aggrieved politicians usually employ the services of renowned armed thugs in a bid to outsmart one another. More so the increasing cases of unemployment and joblessness have swelled up the number of urchins, renegades, and miscreants and created more idle hands as agents of murder. Unscrupulous members of the police force and the Bakassi Boys have killed so many innocent people mostly in an extra-judicial manner, without any justifiable reasons. Family bread winners, promising politicians, human rights activists and advocates, resource persons, professionals, clerics and other impressionable minds have met their untimely death by the way of murder. A brief highlight of some murder cases may be instructive.

On November 4 th 2007 an innocent man of God, based in Florida state America Pastor (Dr)

Onyewumbu Okuakaji was gunned down by unknown assassins when he came for a holiday in his village Umukabia(Ohuhu) in Umuahia as he slept peacefully (Ezekwelu 2007).

On February 2008 Donatus Nnanna Ogba allegedly killed Ojukwu Udeogu, his landlord in

Aba.

“In the first week of November, 2008 the traditional ruler of Abala Automous Community in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, Eze Wilson Nna and his wife Rose, were murdered in cold blood. Their death were traced when he vowed to disclose those behind kidnapping and hostage-taking in the state”(Jerome 2010:2)

On March, 23, 2010 at NTA junction along Port Harcourt Enugu Expressway in Umuahia a police constable Christopher Obanor, 30, allegedly shot into 14 seater bus conveying butchers

to Ubakala abattoir, killing one person while six others sustained severe gunshot wounds

(Okoli 2010).

On Thursday, April 22, 2010 five unidentified men were murdered near the Ikwu River bridge point of the Enugu-PortHarcourt Expressway, in Amaogwugwu, Okuhu, Umuahia

North LGA of Abia State. The people that murdered them are not known. But the bodies of the five men were discovered the next day after a sporadic night-shoot-out. According to

Onuoha ( 2010:6)

The gunshots were heard on Thursday evening, around 10 and Friday morning, the unidentified bodies lay dead at a “valley of death”… A close look at the bodies shows that they were riddled with bullets, not two, not three, but enough that would have given their killers the satisfaction that they were all dead, before they drove off.

On September 9, 2010 along Aba/Port-Harcourt expressway, so many people were murdered by kidnappers. Among the people killed on that ill-fated day included a Reverend Pastor.

They ordered some of their captives to dig grave for those that were murdered. (Jerome

2010).

“On Thursday the 3 rd day of September 2010 the kidnappers were flagging off a bus coming from Port-Harcourt at Obehie, Ukwa West LGA, when the driver of the bus refused to stop, they opened up bullets on the bus and 18 people died instantly”. (Jerome 2010:4).

On September 2010 six communications maintenance workers in Aba were murdered. The workers, who were members of MTN workgroup including policemen; were said to have gone to carry out maintenance operation at a base transmission station (BST) in Aba, when they were brutally murdered by unknown for gunmen. “Those killed included one Ericson engineer, one driver, two mobile policemen, a rigger and the site security guard” (Iriekpen

2010).

On Saturday 2 nd Oct. 2010 killed two policemen at Unmafor Ukwu in Obingwa Local

Government Area. “The policemen were said to be on patrol when they ran into the gunmen

who opened fire, killing two of them instantly and reportedly burnt their Hilux Van”

(Iriekpen 2010).

On Sunday 3 rd Oct. 2010 mechanic was murdered along the Aba Azu Miri Road. “The deceased, a father of six was said to be returning to Aba after delivering to the owner, a vehicle he fixed where he run into armed robbers in an attempt to escape he was shot and killed instantly (Iriekpen 2010).

On December 29, 2010 the renowned Comrade Chidi Nwosu a Human Right Activist,

General Manager, Abia Rubber Company Ltd, was assassinated in his home Amaeke-Abam town of Arochukwu LG.A. After forcing his wife and child into their bathroom, his killers shot him at close range. They dragged his lifeless body from room to room and they jeered as they drained his blood. ( www.africanexaminer.com/nwosu0113 ).

It is instructive to recall that late Comrade Chidi Nwosu devoted himself to ensuring that governments at all level especially in Abia operated transparently, efficiently and effectively. He fought the protected injustice and incompetent leadership against waste, frauds and abuse. He fought to protect the human and constitutional rights of all Nigerian citizens. His case is dastardly and purely politically motivated. Accordingto Umeagbalasi

(2011: np)

Mr. Nwosu was a leading dissent voice, chaslungin the excesses of the present Government of Abia state on issues of insecurity, including serial abductions and other violent and property crimes that enveloped the state in recent months. At a point, he, alongside his family members, fled the state and temporarily settled in Abuja, the Nigeria capital for fear of being harmed by the killer-state agents.

Umeagbalasi fingered either state agent. In fact he concluded that “clearly and unambiguously, this is assassination too many and well directed by state agents.”

Pastor Desmond Igbokwe was kidnapped and murdered in a bush at Umuobia, Olokoro in

Umuahia, capital of Abia State, on April 21, 2011. “His killers were said to have perpetrated

the wicked act with the intent to snatch the cash in his possession and also deny him ownership of the three plots he reportedly bought some years back” (Dike 2011:23).

On May 2011 women from Ohuhu Community in Umuahia North cried out over incessant killing of women in the community by people suspected to be ritualists. “At the last count, about eight women were said to have been killed either in farmland or pathways, to their farms” ( www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/ ...)

Following the ugly trend, women at Ohuhu, which consist of about 23 autonomous communities abandoned their farms for fear of either being killed or raped by the hoodlums

“A woman was killed in her farm and vital parts removed from her body. Another woman, a nurse was murdered on her way back from work, her lowers cut open and her womb removed.” (www.nigeriavillagesquare.londforum/ ...)

On July 19 2011 a police officer, Corporal Mohammed attached to Government

House Umuahia allegedly shot his colleague, Corporal Clement Amachi to death because of differences over the sharing of N2.5 million given to them by Governor Orji after a trip, and

Mohammed was allegedly short-changed in the sharing. According to Onuoha (2011:6)

Mohammed was alleged to have gone to Amachi’s room and short him severally on the head about 2.00am, while the latter was watching television……after he had confirmed that Amachi was dead, Mohammed strived out of the house, with his Ak47 assault rifle, shooting sporadically as he walked towards the main gate of the government house

On June 7, 2011 one Magnus Obinna Ezeugo was allegedly beaten to death in his home at

Ipupe Ubakala in Umuahia South council by no less than 14 operatives of the Abia state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) including his younger brother, a member of the corps. “On account of family quarrel, the brother of the deceased was alleged to have invited his colleagues “to deal with his brother”. And in dealing with him, Magnus was said to have sustained head injury which led to his death” Okoli 2011:np)

On 30 th September, 2011 one Ugorji Chikera at Ehume Umuopara village, Umuahia South murdered one Sopuruchi Nzudike shooting him with a double barrel long gun. (Okoli 2011).

On December 5, 2011 on Mr. Celestine Ozuruoha, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO)

Uratta police station, Aba, Abia state was killed while on patrol. He was believed to be killed by a close friend, a fellow police officer (Okoli 2011).

A mobile policeman was murdered in Aba on Sunday September 25; he was said to have received a phone call from someone reported to be his friend at Alaoji, near Aba and was murdered there. (Sampson 2011).

Abia today is awash with many unresolved cases of murder. The life of an average resident is no petnally at risk and no longer sacred or protected. Law abiding citizens and individuals are from time to time brutally murdered by unknown killers at times armed robbers or hired assassins. And in most cases by the State security agents, especially the police and the dreaded Abia State Vigilante Services otherwise have known as the Bakassi Boys, regrettably in an extra-judicial manner.

3.2 Extra Judicial Killing

The culture of extra-judicial killing, summary and jungle justice for suspected thieves and criminals in Abia State started prior to the emergence of Bakassi Boys that are even notorious for it. Aba for instance, was famous for its jungle justice of lynching and burning with petrol or tire of an individual accused of theft or crime. This because the people and residence of

Abia State, especially Aba abhor theft and criminality.

However, extra judicial killing and brutality is another ravaging violent crime in Abia.

It takes the form of killing of peoples within the state or subjecting them to excruciating brutality by some authorities, notably Bakassi Boys, Police and Joint Task Force JTF without judicial proceedings or legal permission. They kill people deliberately for their selfish reasons or possibly acting on instruction.

Since the inception of the current democratic dispensation in 1999, so many people have been brutally killed in extra-judicial manner. There are innumerable cases of extra- judicial killings and brutality. According to statistics from a pro-human rights group since

1998 to date, Abia state has recorded over 3,000 vigilante related killings with Bakassi

(nigeriamasterweb.com/Master/niger-). Abia State vigilante service which is popularly known as Bakassi Boys was set up to protect the lives of Abians but ironically they have contributed more in killing the people they supposed to protect. It should be recalled that in

August 2005 the Bakassi Boys swooped on unsuspecting and innocent residence of Aba who were later killed in mysterious circumstances. It was:

On August 5, 2005, 32 out of 37 innocent people (including market traders, bus conductors etc) abducted tortured with barbed wire/machetes, and detained in a dark and unventilated 12 × 12 dungeon by the Abia state vigilante devices popularly known as Bakassi Boys. A militia group of the state government, suffocated to death in mysterious circumstances at Orie Ohabiam Electronic Market, Aba, Abia state Nigeria (groups.yahoo.com/../77262).

Expectedly, so many people condemned this in humanity especially the human rights groups and demanded justice. But unfortunately, it seems the matter has ended like that.

Just like the Bakassi Boys, the joint Task Force (JTF) and military personnel deployed in Abia and neighboring states likes Rivers were also deeply involved in extra judicial killings, and brutality. Between September and December 2010, they killed a lot of people, according to 2010 report, “over 300 people have been killed by JTF and military personnel in

Abia state alone, Aba in particular since September, these years” (http:/www.republic report.com). It was revealed that there is a remote massive burial around location where individuals accused of kidnapping were killed and dumped along Aba –Port Harcourt express-high way. For instance, only on 12 October 2010.JTF allegedly killed 172 persons suspected to be members of different kidnapping gangs (www.nairaland.com/nigeria).

Although the JTF were deployed to Abia state in September 2010 to restore order at the

height of criminality and insecurity when business were forced to close and journalists and children were abducted, thus they seemingly went beyond their brief as they incessantly and fragrantly violated human rights. In fact, the public were subjected to many dehumanized treatment. Of course, they must raise their hands while passing or crossing the roads where these personnel were.

On Monday 19 October 2009, Mobile police officers attached to MOPOL 55 Based in

Abia State, killed hour occupants of Mitshibushi Pajero with registration number AJ 501

EZA, an attack families of the victims and Abians contented as extra-judicial killings while police claimed they were robbers (news/ africa seer.com/templates).

The case of extra-judicial killing was so alarming that Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) Abia State chapter on October 2008 being an opposition party then petitioned the inspector General of police (IGP) over alleged state sponsored extra-judicial killings, which according to it has been going on in the state. “The petition signed by the state chairman of the party chief Ndidi Okereke, indentified the Abia State vigilante services (Bakassi Boys as those behind the killings and it fears political opponents could be branded as criminals and killed” (Ujah and Usiogbe 2008).

In a related development, at the height of criminality in Abia, People Progressive

Alliance (PPA) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) called for a state of emergency. One comrade Cassius Ukwegbu lambasted the two parties especially PPA and even went as far as taking it to the immediate ex-governor of the state Chief Orji Uzo Kalu as a leader and chieftain of PPA Ugwuegbu (2010:87) recalled that;

Abia was characterized by the extra-judicial killings of innocent people notably, the murder of Ubakala 2 at Azikiwe Road Umuahia in July 1999; beheading of over 50 shoe makers at Ariria International Market, Aba in October 2001, and the suffocation of innocent persons in a dark and unventilated dungeon of Kalu’s private army, the Bakassi boys at Orie Ohabiam in August 2005.

The Bakassi boys were too brutal and annihilistic. They were grossly involved in brutality and generally operated with impunity in the apprehension, illegal detention and the killings of the criminal suspects and innocent citizens.

Infuriated by the skyrocketing barbaric extra-judicial killing in the state Nwosu (2005: np) outbursts that,

It is only in Abia state that somebody can, in broad day light be whisked off by a vigilante group; detained in a dungeon, tortured, secretly tried and slaughtered like Christmas goat in a full glare of the public. Tell me in which civilized world is this done? …A native of Akanu Item in Bende Local Government Area was tortured by nailing his leg to the ground in order to force him to confess to being involved in a robbery. He did not long after his innocent was established Ben Nwankwo a native of Abam in Arochukwu local government Area of Abia State, has his hand sliced off by the Bakassi boys… for stabbing his brother on the hand.

It is indeed extremely barbaric and against good conscience how those that should protect the people become a thorn on their flesh. It is a subversion of human right ethos. The armed security agents in this manner behave in a way that negates their importance. This dimension of violent crime shows how indiscipline and the culture of impunity have permeated all spheres of existence in the state. No doubt the senseless unlawful extra-judicial killings and brutality in the state have led to loss of human resources that would have contributed to the development of the state.

3.3 Kidnapping

Kidnapping, in criminal law is the taking away or asportation of a person against the person’s will usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority this may be done for ransom or in furtherance of another crime (Nzeh and Duru

2009). Although, kidnapping is arguably alien to Abia State, the evil of kidnapping as a new wave of crime in Nigeria first gained popularity in the Niger Delta creaks as an offshoot of years of social agitation due to economic neglect. Militants adopted kidnapping as feature in

fighting the long neglect of the area as well as perceived injustice upon their people by oil multinationals and government. While kidnapping has subsided in the Niger Delta area, as a result of the amnesty offered by the Federal Government to repentant militants. The malignant crime like a wild fire had raged cancerously in the South East region, particularly in Abia State.

The crime of kidnapping and hostage-taking in Abia state was said to have come to the fore in 2007. Although some of the first reported cases took place on the 6 th of September,

2008 when a gang of kidnappers was smashed at Usaka in Ikwuano L.G.A by state security operatives (Jerome 2010). Kidnapping consequently became a lucrative venture as unemployed youths, especially those with criminal tendencies embraced it as leeway to amass wealth. And like anything commercial among the Igbo, the youths embraced the venture with the same entrepreneurial skill they apply to bag, shoe-making and other businesses. Since then, kidnapping appeared to have become a money-spinning venture

(Umeje: 2010). As Abians joined, it did not take long before the state became a hot-bed of kidnapping in the country. The crime is more prevalent in the Ngwa area of the state.

According to Jerome (2010:2);

The situation in 2009 degenerated to the extent that it almost ignited communal crisis in the state as traditional rulers from Old Bendezone led by Eze John Akaniro accused the Ngwa people of being behind the kidnapping going on in the state.

Most of the kidnapping incidences were perpetrated within the Ngwa axis. It is as if the

Ngwa people decided to draw attention to their political plight, especially their age long desire to rule Abia by involving in illegalities including kidnapping. Within the Ngwa axis, it was observed that they had more than 20 camps in Ukwa East, Ukwa West, Ugwunagbo,

Obingwa, Osisioma and Onichangwa areas Abala alone had up to 80 camps (Jerome 2010).

It is indeed instructive to recall that the late dreaded kidnap kingpin, Obioma

Nwankwo, aka Osisikankwu hailed from this area, precisely Ugwuati in Ukwa West Local

Government Area. Prior to his death, Osisikankwu and his gang, held Abia and the neighbouring states by the jugular, unleashing mayhem with reckless abandon on the hopeless citizens. “He operated throughout the entire areas of Umufuoka junction, near

Ukwakiri in the Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia state, up to Oyigbo in Rivers state had been implicated in several cases of kidnapping in the state” (Sampson 2010:6). When

Osisikankwu was declared wanted in 2010 following his unbearable criminal activities, Ofor

(2010:6) noted that:

Nwankwo, who is about, 35 years old is believed to be the mastermind of high profile cases of kidnap that had taken place in Abia state in the past three years including that of 15 pupil who were to belong to the wanted man.

Little wonder Abians were thrown into jubilation when Osisikankwu and some of his cohorts were finally killed on Sunday, December 12, 2010 by joint military Task Force in Aba. He was said to have been behind serial cases of kidnapping while his operation lasted in the state.

Osisikankwu was a former hunter and ex-fighter of Icelander confraternity, funded by ex-militant leader and Rivers state warlord, Ateke Tom. Other notable kidnap kingpins in the state include Mopol- a dismissed policeman stone, toilet, 10-10, Ik in Ukwa West local government area; Onyeme – a dismissed soldier and king Solomon in Abala; Dan Fryo and Susu in Umez axis (Amanze 2010) they held Abia captive.

The rash and menace of kidnapping criminality in Abia state came to national consciousness when on Sunday, July 19, 2010 three official of the Nigerian Union of

Journalist (NUJ), traveling through Aba after a meeting of the National Executive Committee

(NEC), in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Capital, were abducted at Umuafuoka junction near

Ukwakiri in the Obingwa Local Government Area by a rampaging gang led by the notorious

Osisikankwu, who demanded a monstrous N250 million. Those kidnapped are Wahab Oba,

Chairman of Lagos State Council of NUJ, Adolphus Okonkwo, Secretary of Zone G of the

NUJ and Sylvester Okereke, acting secretary, Lagos NUJ. Others are Sola Oyeyipo, a Lagos based journalist and their driver. “Although the police claimed that no ransome was paid to the gang, but a very reliable source revealed to Sahara Reporters in Enugu that N30 million was paid before hostages was left of the kidnapped” (Sahara Reporters 2010:np).

And also the heartless abduction of the fifteen (15) school pupils of Abayi

International School on Monday October 27, 2010 few days before the nation’s 50th independence anniversary, the abduction of these infants expectedly generated outrage and a lot of condemnation by UN Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), other international bodies and Nigerians themselves. (Egua 2010:np) reported that the representative of UNICEF in

Nigeria Dr Suomi Sakai strongly condemned it; “under n circumstance would children be the target of violent… kidnapping children for financial gain is simply heinous”. In a similar conceptualization, the editorial comment of Daily Sun Monday October 4, 2010 is worth reflecting upon; “The kidnap of primary school, student is not only pathetic but also shameful and deplorable it shows that the Nigeria society. ”There are several other cases of kidnapping in the state, especially in that 2010. a reflection of some cases may ideal.

On Tuesday January 12, 2010, three British nationals and a Columbia contract staff,

Natco Dietmann working at the Shell’s Afam VI Power plant in Oyigbo Local Government

Area of Rivers State, were kidnapped by gun men who blocked their vehicle at Owaza junction in Obingwa Local Government of Abia State, and whisked them away, shooting to death a mobile police officer who was with them. The victims were John Bennett, Kelvin

Gray, and Marthin Phillip, all Britons, and the Columbian was Fabian Sanchez. (Sahara

Reporters 2010)

On Monday April 19, 2010, heavily armed gunmen kidnapped two German nationals.

They were later released. On Sunday May 23, 2010, a kidnapped gang seized three Chinese nationals and nine Nigerians working for the Aba based Nigerian Steel Company (NSE).

They were released on Saturday May 29, after payment of some ransome money. (Sahara

Reporters 2010)

On July 10, 2010, Victoria Ori, 48, was kidnapped by a four member gang, who demanded whopping N20 million. Ori spent 16 days with her abductors and was released after some ransom was paid, but not the amount they demanded. (Sahara Reporters 2010)

On Sunday September 7, 2010, gunmen numbering about 15 invaded the Jerusalem for All Nations Church at Umuneke community in Ukwa West Local Government Area, were over 5,000 worshippers were praying. They abducted the church pastor; David Kelechi fondly called Christ Junior by his member, and took him to an unknown destination: Chief

Lambert Nmecha, a politician was gunned down during the incident.

On Saturday, September 11 2010, an Indian national working with an electronic company in Aba was stopped by a five-member kidnapper. When he refused to enter his would-be abductors’ car, they shot him dead and left the scene.

On Friday, September 17, 2010, Dr. Stanley Uche, a gynecologist and proprietor of Victory

Christian Hospital in Aba was kidnapped on his way to his younger sister’s funeral in his Imo

State home town traveling with his wife. Few days later, his wife returned from organizing a whopping N30 million ransom the criminals demanded, at a location given to her. After given the heartless kidnappers the money in order to set her husband free, she was shockingly given a lifeless body.

“Those that have tested the “flavor” of kidnappers’ den include a former Chairman of Abia

State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Chief J.D Iruke, Chairman of Abia State

Independent Electoral Commission (ABSIEC), Prof. Steve Emejuaiwe and a lawmaker

Barrister Monday Ejiogu” (Okoro,2010).

It was realized that “if your brother is in the United State and they happen to know, whether he is working there or not you will be kidnapped” (Ibekwe, 2010).

As long as kidnappers concluded arrangement to kidnap a person, it was as if there would be no hiding place until the plan is executed. According to Ibekwe, (2010:np) one Mr.

Agu “narrated instances where kidnappers used sledge hammers to break through the wall of houses in their bids to abduct their occupants, residents of neighbouring building covering and praying the abductors will pass over their building”.

“In a village along Aba-Ikot-Ekpene Road, were so scared of being kidnapped that some of them abandoned the comfort of their homes to sleep in churches, yet this kidnappers went to church and abducted them there” Ibekwe (2010:np).

The upsurge of kidnapping was so alarming that the governor, Theodore Orji sacked two traditional rulers for their alleged involvement in the crime. According to Nze et al

(2009:38).

The sacked traditional rulers are Emmanue Oforji of Isi-Obihie autonomous community in Ukwa West Local Government Area and Nze Rueben Nworgu of the Ihe-Iyi autonomous community in Ugwunagbo council area. Governor Orji also threatened that more royal fathers would be sacked as they were being investigated for their alleged involvement in criminal activities.

The menace was so disturbing that many called for stiffer penalty for the perpetrators. In response to the call, the Governor chief T.A Orji through an executive bill to the state House of Assembly introduces a proposed bill seeking to make kidnapping a capital offence. The law known as “Abia state Nigeria Law No. 9 of 2008”, was cited as “criminal Code Law

[Amendment] No. 1 Law,” (Jerome 2010:2). The bill was passed by the state and signed into law. And it took effect in December 2008. “Abia is the first state to introduce that law since

then other states… has followed suit” (Kumolu 2010:np). Other states who have now made kidnapping a capital offence include Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Enugu, Imo with Rivers prescribing among other things life imprisonment for kidnappers and their accomplishes.

(Nzeh and Duru 2009). In another bid to eradicate the upsurge the state government in collaboration with the federal government amnesty offer to repentant militants also granted amnesty to kidnappers.

However, kidnappers in the state have shown barbarity, lethality and non- discrimination for the age and sex of their victims. They have kidnapped public office holders, politicians and their relatives, clerics, expatriates and their relatives, persons perceiving to be rich and their relatives, corps members medical doctors, journalists, students of higher, institutions, pupils and even kids and taken to their den or hide-outs, some were killed others released after payment of ransom.

3.4 Rape

Rape is from the Latin rapere, which means to take by force. It is the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will (Siegel 2005). Rape is one of the violent crimes generally loathed, mainly for its involvement of overwhelming lust. It involves nonconsensual sexual intercourse with the victim by the rapist.

However, the manner with which hoodlums and rapists debase and rape in Abia, both young and aged could be worse than what was written about Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible.

Reporting about the activities of the late notorious kidnap king in Osisikankwu and his cohorts, Jerome (2010:4) reveals that:

They raped a catholic Reverend Sister. They raped an eight-month pregnant woman to death. Often they command people to rape animals like goats, dogs etc. They order a man in his early 50s to have canal sex with his daughter they kidnapped in their camp. They commanded children (male) to rape their mother in the full glare. And where anyone refuses, the person will be shot dead immediately. To show a woman how serious they were, they forced down and marched to death her two months old baby before raping her… a

man was ordered to hold a torch-light for the willing kidnapping rapists to ensure that they satisfy their sexual orgies (rituals), as they went on a marathon sex, and the woman later died.

On October 5, 2010 one princess Zainab Chinasa Uwakwe from Amakpor

Autonomous community, in Igbere, Bende Local Government Area, Abia state was allegedly raped to death by DPO Kabiru of the Cameroun Road Police Barracks, Aba after drugging her. According to Umahi (2011:61)

She died in the office of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in Aba. Her ugly story stated after a political meeting, in connection with her ambition of representing Aba North state constituency in Abia state House of Assembly. She had got a call to come to Cameroun Road Police Barracks, Aba, to see the then Divisional Police Officer, Kabiru, a Superintendent of Police (SP). She did not leave the DPO’s office alive.

Umali further reported that when she was taken to hospital it was seen that her shirt was soaked with blood and her undies were not there. That was when it was realized that it could be rape. Rape cases in Abia reached the crescendo and hit world social media between

August and September 2011, following the rape saga of a female student of Abia State

University, Uturu who was allegedly gang raped by five boys of the same institution. The boys recorded their beastly act and circulated it.

The female student was gang raped by 5 guys suspected to be cult members. This incident happened Tuesday August 16 th , 2011 (Ikeji 2011: np). The boys recorded their beastly act and circulated it within the campus. Via phones and laptop, it had been shared and circulated round the state and beyond especially when it made its way to the internet and become a universal knowledge. The researcher also got the clip in his phone.

In the rape video, which its internet and laptop versions last over an hour and 10 minutes respectively, while the girl’s face could be seen, the rapists blurred their own faces.

The girl was said to have “disrespected one of the guys on campus and that prompted the gang raping as a way of teaching her a lesson” (Kalu 2011: np). Initially the girl cried

painfully as she fought to resist the boys. But the rapists threatened her to cooperate or be detained for a longer period. They over-empowered and subdued her through threats and rough-handling, (and threatening her). When it became obvious that she could not help herself, she started pleading as they were having brutal sex with her, “Biko, biko, okwa unu ma onwe ihe mmere unu?” (Please please you know I did not offend you?” at times she will speak in English “please nah, it’s not fair”. All her pleas and cries fell on deaf ears of her assailants, who were determined to teach her a lesson of her life. The height of her incapacitation and helplessness was when she pleaded with them to just kill her. “kill me, kill me! You people should just kill me. You people should please nah”. But the boys laughed at her and made fun of her. “Are you not enjoying it, close your eyes, keep quiet, commot your hand, turn, turn, turn” among others, were their commands as they sexually exploited her.

Expectedly, the ugly incident generated reactions and condemnations from diverse groups and the Federal Government. The minister of youth development, Mallam Bolaji

Abdullahi in a statement by his spokesman for media, Julius Ogunro said “The Honourable

Minister views the behaviour of the perpetrators as decadent and barbaric, and believes the attitude of these men, if indeed they are young Nigerians, does not represent the character and nature of the Nigerian youth” (Babajidesalu.wordpress.com/2011lo9/..). The rage that trailed these barbaric and shameful acts made the House of Representatives, after considering a motion on the incident, asked the Inspector General of Police, Hafix Ringim, to investigate the matter and ensure that the rapists are brought to book ( www.thisdaylive.home ). The female honourable members condemned it in strongest terms.

It is indeed worrisome that this beastly ordeal took place in Abia State University, a citadel of learning that was “crowned in 2009 to be African’s most Humanitarian Friendly

University in Africa” (Babajdesalu.wordpress.com/ 2011/09/…). This gruesome inhumanity is retrogressive and injurious to the moral system of the state. The animalistic and primitive

bestiality of this gang rape betrays savagery of a type that Abia ought to have outgrown, let alone when it occurred in institution of higher learning.

Also in December 2011, Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN) was informed about the alleged rape of an 11year old girl in Okigwe by an Okigwe based business man in Isuikwuato. The aunt of the victim revealed that the rapist lured the little girl, who was hawking an item to his apartment on the pretext of going to pay her for the item he bought from her. “He raped the girl overnight while her guardians where searching for her”

(www.nigeriacatalog.com ).

It was learnt that in the following morning, the alleged rapist put the girl on a motor- bike that took her to her village, where the guardians eventually found her. She was later hospitalized in Okigwe General Hospital in bad condition ( www.nigeriacatalog.com ).

Though the suspect was said to be arrested and detained, rape cases of this nature is the pastime of depraved minds in the state. Girl hawkers are raped from time to time in the course of hawking their items.

Another horrible case of rape in Abia was the incident in Aba, where kidnappers commanded male children to rape their mother. In a typical family, the mother had her first son shot before the whole family, after being commanded to have sex with his mother and he refused. This prompted the mother to lure her second and only remaining son to obey the morally bankrupt bandits and climb on top of her for the fear of losing him as well. Jerome

Offor (2010:6) captured the forceful abomination in this light.

An incident in question where one of two children of the same mother stoutly refused the forcible incest led to his being killed in his mother’s presence. The poor woman dragged her second son into the act, if only to save his life. The boy slept with his mother but walked away the next morning. No one has seen him ever since.

It was learnt that after the incident, the second son who could not withstand the psychological torture of the taboo experience among his people, fled from the family and told

them not to look for him again. This is moral hemorrhage. If not, which sane human being would have experienced what is commonplace among goat (animal) family in a rational human family and withstood the attendant voracious torture?

There are still other numerous cases of rape in the state. In most cases high way robbers within the state rob and rape their victims. Gangs famous for this beastly act always operate between Okigwe and Umuahia, along Enugu –Port Harcourt –Express way. Rape is indeed another devilish violent crime that has smeared the reputation and sanctity of Abia as ‘God’s

Own State’.

3.5 Robbery

One of the most deadly and dreaded violent crimes in Abia state is armed robbery.

The method of aka na akpa (picking pocket), ndi akpu obi (intimidation), iri mugu, iri oru or nnapu – (the use of physical force, intimidations and harassment) to dispossess people of their material belongings has long been in existence in Abia state. But what is pointedly novel is the exponential escalation in ruthlessness, barbarity, lethality, daredevilry, owing largely to the sophistication of their weaponry. “Armed with guns, rifles, pistols and other dangerous weapons, robbers harass, brutalize, and intimidate innocent citizens at night and in broad daylight, sometimes regardless of the visible presence of armed policemen” (Igbo 2007:158).

According to Nwosu (2006:np)

There is virtually no day, some say hour a case of armed robbery is not recorded in the state particularly Aba – the commercial nerve centre, Banks, filling stations, hotels eateries market shops, Bureau de Change, motorists and residential houses have become targets of robbery attacks.

Armed robbery in Abia has gone beyond the level of random and speculative neighborhood attracts to well-planned, full scale assault on communities and banking halls. Discussing about the generating cases of robbery in Abia, Iriekpen (2010:np) observed that;

Robbers now go in convoys, with a full-scale assault on machinery and instruments to breakdown strong rooms. They also invest hours on expedition, after which law enforcement agents will arrive the scene after the robbers had made away with their loots. On a few occasions when gallantry is displayed, causality is always high on the side of law agents, because of the superior arm and fire power of the robbers.

At a time robbery became a daily event in Abia state. Some of the robbers operated on motorbikes double-crossing and robbing people of cash cell phones, jewelry among other valuable items along the streets in the day light. Robbers in Abia operated in astonishing degrees of impunity and reckless abandon. For instance, when on May 30, 2006, a bullion van carrying millions of money was intercepted and hijacked along Aba Port Harcourt

Expressway by the dare-devil robbers “An eye witness said they had the effrontery as they were going to be singing, Chineke idi nma, idi nma …(God you are so good)”(Nwosu

2006:np)

Robbery was so intense in the state that the military task force on internal security operating in Abia state took up the additional responsibility of providing security to banks transferring money between Abia and neighbouring state(s). “The directive to protect billion vans was given by the Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, who mandated the task force commander, Maj. Gen. Sarkin Yakin Bello to protect the banks from further attacks while conveying money (Ugwu 2010:np). The directive was issued in order to deter robbers from attacking the billion vans while transferring funds as has been experienced in most cases.

At times they notify their would-be victims before they strike. For instance, prior to the armed robbery attacks on First Bank and Fidelity Bank on Port Harcourt Road Aba on

June 2, 2010, the underworld elements wrote to inform these banks of their intension to rob them. “True to their words, they arrived at appointed day and successfully ransacked the

banks without resistance” (Ibekwe, 2010). Thus the situation was so bad that robbers in the state were empowered to give notices to their would-be victims before attacking them.

The two main cities of the state, Aba and Umuahia became centres of criminality as violent crimes were non-stop. Apart from Aba and Umuahia, rural areas like Ikwnano,

Umuanocha, Obingwa, Isialangwa North and south as well as Ugwunagbo witness high level of crime. “Infact, a good number of the robbery and other criminal activities, especially cases of kidnapping usually reported at the police headquarters, are recorded in the rural areas, particularly Isialangwa and Ugwunagbo” (Okoli, 2009:np).

Another ugly dimension of robbery in the state is the menace of touts alleged to be working for the state government and local government councils. On daily basis these urchins harass and embarrass people with extortion and indiscriminate arrest. On many occasions these touts have set up motorists by directing them where to park only for their second set to come flout the motorists for parking on unauthorized place and loose one of the vehicle tyres of extort up as much as five thousand (N5000), from their victim. They employ all manner of crude methods to exploit money from their victims.

It should be recalled that at a time in 2009, following the nightmarish state of bank robbery and bullion van attack in the state, the banks resorted to convey money by helicopter.

On April 13, 2009, while analyzing the worsening state of robbery Okoli (2009: np) noted:

Today in the commercial town, banks move bulk money by helicopter as bullion vans have become easy targets of the hoodlums. In last few months, no less than five cases of bullion van attack were recorded in the state and, in each of them, lives including those of policemen, were lost. Helicopters now carrying bank money now land at the central police station in the city from where they now go to their various offices.

Robbers operated with obvious reckless abandon, as a day hardly passes without reports of striking under the full glare of onlookers. They were so rampageous that the residents of the state were sleeping with one eye closed. Everybody lived in fear, because no one knows who may be the next victim of armed robbery. 58

CHAPTER FOUR

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CRIME IN ABIA STATE

4.1 Causes

The sky-rocketing state of violent crimes in the state is a fall out of intricate web of causative factors of insecurity, bad leadership and infrastructural decay, poverty and unemployment, ineffective social institution and moral declension, widespread availability of arms and substance abuse, greed and materialism etc. The above highlighted causative factors and their effects therefore, are the thrust of this chapter.

4.1.1 Insecurity

Since the creation of Abia, security challenges have posed a severe headache to the successive administrations. One of the major threats to peace and order in the state security system is the lack of capacity to arrest hoodlums before they carry out their mischief. It is clear that effective security framework is fundamental to the growth and development of the society. Security agencies are central to peace and development of each state and Nigeria at large. An effective and efficient security network inspires confidence in the people. But the commando-like nature of violent crimes in Abia has shown how unstable the security system in the state is and that hoodlums can take charge in a precarious security situation.

The incessant criminal activities that occour on hourly basis per se, keep piling up tensions in the state and has exposed the underbelly of the security agencies including the

Bakassi Boys, especially with regard to balancing effective policing and rule of law. They prefer to harass and embarrass innocent citizens. Whereas criminal elements are unrelenting in their exploitation of delicate security situation to wreck havoc and disturb the peace and security of the state.

It is instructive to recall that insecurity was so alarming that the state government even resorted to the use of unorthodox security outfits, notably the Bakassi Boys. Initially, the

Bakassi Boys did well and succeeded in driving criminals out of the state. But their brutality against innocent Abians, method of cutting up and burning criminal suspects mostly in extra- judicial manner even with impunity, was frowned at by a larger section of the people, especially human rights groups. This is coupled with the fact that the outfit with time turned into a political tool for dealing with the political opponents of the government of the day.

Bakassi boys were also used by people especially those who could access or afford their services to deal with their enemies. Seeing that the outfit had outlived its usefulness it was stormed and rendered insignificant.

In addition, the Abia state wobbling political leadership of especially ex-governor Orji, Uzor

Kalu and incumbent T.A Orji with their attendant economic order that produces an exasperated population, miscreants, urchins and a social order that is hemorrhaging, has heightened insecurity. Abians, also contribute to the prevalence breach of security system in the state. More disturbing is the fact that the inability of the social order to offer protection for all residents of the state has created a bunch of security operatives that are seemingly less concern or incapable of securing lives and property but largely thinking of their own individual interest than the protection of the state, which also contribute to lawlessness and scaring level of insecurity. They have regrettably exhibited lack of capacity to arrest hoodlums before they carry out their mischief.

4.1.2 Bad Leadership/Decay Infrastructure

Since its inception, Abia has faced so many challenges, some developmental, some political, with the most critical being that of leadership that hampers growth in all spheres of her existence. It is unfortunate since its birth, Abia has continued to transit from one corrupt and inept leadership to another. There have been palpable leadership flaws and lacuna which have conspired to deny the people benefits of good governance. The leaders make life unbearable for Abians.

Most of the leaders that have piloted the affairs of the state had no clear-cut agenda on how to develop the state. The lack of dedicated and committed leaders has contributed to the perennial and endemic violent crime in the state. The state was first administered by military juntas. No doubt the state and by extension the entire nation was disorganized by the use of military authoritarian rule. With draconian decrees, they recklessly subverted the people’s will. From Frank Ajobena the first Military Administrator of the state to Col. Anthony Obi, the last military administrator, the successive Military Administration failed to stabilize the polity, secure the citizens and provides the basic socio-economic needs of the majority of the people. Authoritarianism was they prevailing tendency as they made good leadership and governance exceedingly cumbersome. It was marked with oppression and suppression.

Military administration caused immense misery and discomfort to ordinary Abians. Little wonder, the restoration of democratic system of governance was greeted with enthusiasm and optimism. Unfortunately democratic governance threw up the leadership of men with questionable character.

Benedict and Ubochi ( 2009:np) noted that “with such characters in leadership, there came the introduction of fetish and satanic practices into governance. Oracles shrines and deities were consulted for the consulted for the sake of ensuring loyalty, invincibility and longevity in selfish –service”. Resources that would have been used to cushion the effects of military brutality and brought about social economic development were channeled wrongly to personal satisfaction. The successive leadership has been corrupt and selfish. They are only interested in amassing wealth, empowering and enriching the members of their families and their cronies. The youths who take to crime have watched helplessly as successive leadership looted the treasury and impoverished the state. It is in this regard that Okolo ( 2011:np) lamented thus ; “Every day, I keep thinking why we are so unlucky to have a crop of greedy

thoughtless, visionless, unpatriotic, senseless, mannerless, deceitful, self centered, uncompassionate, corrupt-minded, ill-educated, good for nothing leaders”.

After taking critical look at Abia, the Abia Elder’s Forum (AEF) on its 17th

Anniversary through its Publicity Secretary Mr. Uchenna Kalu lamented the failure of its last and current administrations. “As every Abian knows this failure to provide our people with honest and transparent leadership has resulted in resources hemorrhage and arrested development” (Ujah 2005:np).

Leadership failure in Abia state became more obvious when the leadership of

People’s Progressive Alliance summoned the Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, over alleged insecurity and underdevelopment of the state. Apart from the Governor, the party’s chairman of Board of Trustees who is also the immediate ex-governor of the state, Chief Orji Uzor

Kalu and Senator Uche Chukwumereije were also summoned by their party’s National

Working Committee (NWC), as a result of outcry of the people about their bad leadership as well as the many petitions against Theodore Orji the governor and his godfather Orji Uzor

Kalu, the BOT chairman; that they were responsible for the underdevelopment of the state. It was reported that;

The chairman is not happy with the torrent of petition against the governor and the party’s chairman of BOT that they are contributing to the underdevelopment of the state-causing failing infrastructure… the petitioners complained about lack of security in the state and that nothing seems to be working www.nigerianbestforum.um/generalto ...

No doubt, there is obvious failure of infrastructure. A few example will suffuse: Golden

Guinea Breweries Ltd, Umuahia, brewers of Golden Guinea beer, Bergedorf Malta and other drinks has stopped production because of visionless and inept leadership in the state;

International Glass Industry, Aba, can hardly locate is bearing “Ogwe Golden Poultry, Abia

Palm Mill, Mbawsi; Abia Palm Plantation, Ohambele; Mythological Institute, Aba, are stagnating”(Nwosu 2005:np). Modern Ceramics Industry, Umuahia, which was alleged to

have been sold off is yet to start working; “General Hospitals, Aba, are neither equipped with qualified personnel, nor stocked with drugs, nor fumigated. They are breeding places for mosquitoes and other disease-transmitting insects. The gates of the hospital have been turned to dumps for dead bodies” (Nwosu 2005: np).

More so, most of the roads across the state are death traps, even when funds are budgeted for their rehabilitation every year. The worst hit is Aba. The situation is so bad that motorists and keke napep operators have chosen where to ply. Movements that will ordinary take 10 minutes stretches as much as 40 minutes to an hour. Whereas good road is a strong driver of economy, let alone a commercial city like Aba. Consequently, cost of raw materials and transportation are quite high due to the deplorable state of the roads. This is coupled with epileptic power supply. Thus, all entrepreneurs, artisans, and companies in Abia are mainly depending on power generated by them. It is obvious that the power from the national grid has collapsed, thereby, forcing the people to generate power on their own. All these add to the overall cost, which inadvertently force some of these companies to downsize.

Apart from dilapidated infrastructure, there are mountains of refuse all over the state.

Despite the sanitation levies, the leadership forcefully collects from the people through Abia

State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) and other miscreants and touts, major roads in Aba and Umuahia have been converted into refuse dump. More worrisome is the outrageous imposition of taxes and levies on Abia people. Monthly sanitation fees are forcefully collected from individuals and corporate organizations. There is a task force that collect daily toll from road side traders in the cities of Aba and Umuahia.

Instead of providing infrastructure, enriching and empowering the generality of the people, the politicians see leadership positions as an opportunity to enrich themselves. Since the inception of the current democratic dispensation, two leaders who performed below

expectation have stirred the ship of Abia leadership - Orji Uzor Kalu and T.A Orji.

Commenting about Kalu’s eight years failure Benedict and Ubochi (2009:np) noted that;

Having ruled his state for virtually eight years (1999-2007), he left it in despair amidst staggering looking of funds money laundry. His private business flourished, he expanded his shipping fleet, diversified his investment and economics interest, he set up a publishing house, established an airline carrier al at the expense of the state and in clear negation of the constitutional dictates and Code of Conduct of Public officers. At the expiry of his tenure on May 2007, what was left of his state was a network of pot holed roads, despicable sanitary and waste management conditions, failed schools and health care services, a very scary so do my in relevant arms of the state government structure.

Though Orji Uzor Kalu failed, the present leadership of Chief T.A Orji has proven to be the worst ever witnessed by the state. The visionless government of Ochendo is a pathetic case of leadership failure in Abia. Almost five years in the saddle, he has no single tangible achievement to point at. He seems to lack foresight and charisma. It is in this regard that

Ndukwe (2009) noted that: “The government of Theodore Orji has failed in his political mandate to give maximum security to the people.”

Since the present democratic leadership, political positions have been monetized. Money is the determinant factor of who takes what as against ideology. Charlatans, rogues fraudster became lawmakers, commissioners, special advisers, council chairmen, heads of parastatals etc. thus squandamania mentality was activated in the leadership psyche of the state. The fallout among the ordinary people has been anger and the quest to survive, which gravitate towards crime.

Bad leadership has therefore been one of the major reasons for the high rate of violent crimes and kidnapping epidemic that Abia is experiencing.

4.1.3 Poverty

Many families in the state suffer from poverty. These families are deprived of the necessities of life, security, safe water, adequate food clothing and shelter, proper education and health care. The poor manage to eke out a living in a most demeaning and dehumanizing

manner. In a bid to survive, some people scavenge mountains of refuse dumps that dots major streets, especially in Aba and Umuahia. “For those of them that dwell in the remote areas, life cut a different picture. Only God knows how they survive” (Kalu 2011:55).

The excruciating pain of poverty is quite devastating. Osagie (2011:55) captured the

Nigerian state of poverty and intentness for crime in this light;

Nigerians are going to bed on empty stomachs, many have no roofs over their head; health care needs recovery, while hopelessness rules the land. Many Nigerians live below 65 cents a day. The faces you see reflect frustration and disillusion. There are Nigerians who haven’t held N500 (five hundred naira) for a long time. And this is no exaggeration. Many don’t know where and when next meal will come. Amidst this hellish living, a few powerful Nigerians are erecting breathtaking mansions and gliding in eye-popping wonders-on- wheel. Federal legislator and other government officials are taunting the rest of us with obscene allowances which they have greedily slashed for themselves. They flaunt their wealth everywhere in the face of majority haves not, daring us to go to hell and stay there. Since no one willingly wants to go to hell or make it a permanent abode, a few deprived poor are taking their destinies in their hands and making it impossible for the wealthy to live in peace or sleep at night.

The excruciating socio-economic situations and conditions have necessitated violent crimes.

In the midst of plenty, Nigerians are generally pauperized. A greater number of the Nigerian teaming population are in conditions where eking out a living is a Herculean task. A situation where the vast majority of the population wallow in abject poverty and penury, while the microscopic few, who represents an infinitesimal fraction of the same population, live in ostentation and flamboyancy is pathetically uncalled for. Such social inequality thrives crime.

In fact, “it is often said that ‘a hungry man is an angry man’, thus the level of poverty in

Nigeria is at times expressed in anger” (Udeagha, 2007: 75).

Poor minds with criminal tendencies find favour in crime as they can attain material goods which they cannot attain through legitimate means. In a bid to succeed, they employ threat or force, which induce them to commit such violent crimes like kidnapping, robbery and even murder. As they are impoverished, they do not have the resources for quality

education which may deprive them assess to quality jobs, socialization and profitable engagements. In such situation, the probability of the poor engaging in nefarious adventures is quite high.

It is also believed that certain communities are more likely to bread criminals than others, mainly because of conditions associated with poverty, such as poor education, housing, health, and parental upbringing (Daumbazau 2007). For this reason, the Obingwa,

Osisioma, Ugwunagbo and Ukwa Ngwa have bred more conventional offenders in Abia. The late dreaded Osisikankwu and most of his lieutenants were from this area.

4.1.4 Unemployment

“Unemployment is the state of being without a paid job” (Udeagha 2007:73). There is a strong nexus between the high rate of youth unemployment in Abia and most of the problems that threatens the state’s security, stability and development. The effects of unemployment are intricately complicated. The plague of joblessness compounds those social vices such as prostitution, drug trafficking and addiction, illegal trade in firearms, gambling as well as other forms of delinquency and criminality, especially violent crimes that consequently retards development and weaken the moral fabric of the ‘God’s Own State’.

Joblessness creates a sense of idleness and uselessness which in turn heightens the attraction to heinous activities. It makes it easy for youths to fall prey to especially politicians who normally use them as thugs and foment trouble. The unrelenting upheaval in the manner of increasing wave of crime in Abia is the unfortunate consequence of high unemployment rate. The precarious security situation in the state is the handiwork of jobless youths, who are often called thugs, hoodlums, miscreants, vagrants, renegades, urchins, touts, and whatever.

Unemployment rate is alarming and getting worsened as the day passes by. The number of unemployed graduates, does not only constitute colossal wastage of human capital resources, but also contribute a major threat to peace and security.

Recent statistics has shown that unemployment rate in the country has risen substantially in the last one year alone. According to figure released by. National Bureau of Statistics, the latest unemployment figure is 32.5 million. This according to Statistician General of the federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, represents 21.7 percent of the estimated 150 million populations, (Daily Sun Editorial, Wednesday September, 21, 2011).

Although this is the data bandied by the National Bureau of Statistics, but when the battalion of unemployed youths roaming the cities, searching for jobs and those in various communities and villages entirely considered, then there is compelling urge to suggest that the authenticity of this statistical figure seemed unrealistic and challengeable. Perhaps, what is realistic suggest more above the figure.

Even those that are employed also face a lot of hardship in their respective places of work. Some of them are grossly under-paid. Many are left with salaries of months unpaid and with no hope of when to be paid. As they are silently dying of hunger, none of them will dare raise his voice for fear of losing his job (Fatai 2011). And in most cases, the number of dependents on those who are ‘thought’ to have employment may be many. In a bid to survive, they may engage in crimes.

At the 100th session of the International Labour Organization (ILO) conference, in

Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday 14th June, 2011, the former president of Nigeria Chief

Olusegun Obansanjo, one of the discussants, lamented the growing unemployment index thus;

I give example of my own country, Nigeria. We have over 120 universities. When I was growing up and I had to go to university, there was only one university. With polytechnics and other tertiary institutions, we have more than 200. We have 600,000 graduates every year and we are not creating 100,000 jobs for the graduates. The youths can be ignited at anytime. We have a population of about 165 million people, we must be talking of jobs, jobs, jobs. If we don’t the youth will be ignited and we will all be consumed. Our situation of lack of employment is predictably of what will happen (Osagie 2011:55).

If jobs are not created for idle hands and engage the mind of the deprived citizenry, especially the youth, the already witnessed catastrophic impact of violent crimes in Abia and other security threats in Nigeria at large, may be a child’s play. In order words, the effects of unemployment may not end with violent crimes, as there are prospects of youth uprising or revolutions knocking on the doors of Nigeria. Unemployment retards human development and breeds poverty, crime and insecurity.

4.1.5 Substance Abuse/Proliferation of Arms

The spate of arms proliferation in Abia and Nigeria at large has plunged the entire society in the throes of unremitting violent attacks and general insecurity. “Even though

Nigeria is not a country at war, it has 70% of the illegal stockpile of arms and ammunition in the whole of West Africa” (Iherike in Hussen et al 2010:1). The overwhelming availability of illicit arms is tonics that boost and lure unscrupulous elements in violent garb to perpetrate violent crimes and the baneful intentness to channel their mind on that, which is morally despicable and socially dehumanizing (Udeagha 2011). In similar conceptualization, Ekhomu

(2011: np) noted that:

Once the weapon is available, any third rate thief quickly transforms into terrorist, kidnapper, armed robber, assassin, political hitman, etc. It is the capability (weapon) that separates a highly-motivated criminal from his prize. Without the weapon he would merely wish, but not implement

Arms function like stimulants that motivate criminal minded elements to take to crimes. The rate of arm proliferation in Abia state is increasingly alarming. The late kidnap kingpin

Osisikankwu in his letter to the nation stated thus:

Is it not disturbing that it’s only in Abia state that civilians are buying guns to humiliate the fellow citizen? I have done through research in the 36 state of the federation including federal capital territory (FCT) and I have never seen where civilians are being used by any state government to intimidate its fellow citizens (Breaking News Extracts 2010:2)

When violent crimes was believed to have reached its apogee in the region, the five south East governors went directly to Aso Rock seeking presidential assistance to combat the menace. The Governor of Imo State Chief Ikedi Ohakim corroborating the South East

Governors’ Chairman, Mr. Peter Obi of Anambra’s plea to the president noted thus; “I believe the issue of capacity how to be looked into. What is happening is beyond the capacity of individual states. The type of arms and ammunitions at the disposal of the criminals and professionalism of the criminals are beyond the capacity of individual states” (Umejei 2010).

It is believed that the hoodlums in the state have weapons that are superior to police weapons. And the speculation was that the criminals get them from Niger Delta militants who refused to surrender their weapons during the Amnesty or from people who import weapons into the country. The Governor Chief T.A Orji was reported as saying that;

Our thinking is that the militants did not surrender all their weapons in Niger Delta. Apart from this, don’t forget that our borders are still very porous and many people are still importing arms and ammunition at will. It was apparent that the kidnappers had superior fire powers than the police. Kidnappers here have machine guns and all sorts of weapons that you will think should naturally be with the security agents. ( www.ngex.com/ news/public/newsinfo.php ).

No doubt, Abia shares boundary with other Niger Delta states like Rivers an Akwa Ibom. The militants who did not yield to the Amnesty might have migrated to Abia with their weapons and started unleashing mayhem.

On the other hand, substance abuse especially drug and alcoholism can lead to various acts of deviancy and criminality “A drug is a chemical substance used to alter deliberately mood, perception or consciousness. Its use for this purpose is generally illegal and usually harmful”. (Agha 2003:90). Drug abuse is not likely harmful to the addict but to the general society. It can ginger widespread violence, destruction of lives and properties and other activities that threaten the peace and development of the society. “Any person operating under the power or influence of drugs is not his normal self, and so can do or say anything to

the detriment of himself others and the society” (Nzeakor 2002:286). Drug addicts in the society are mostly law breakers and criminals. It is in this regard that Okoli (2009: np) noted that;

In Aba (also); there is an area, York, allegedly notorious for drug business. The place is very open both police and NDLEA are said to know the place yet the place is believed to still thrive and breed hardened criminals. In broad daylight, young men and women are allegedly seen openly displaying drugs of all types nutrient my body challenging them. As long as they are left to operate, observers say it is unlikely that crime in the commercial city would go down as that serves as breeding and relaxing ground for criminals.

Closely related to drug abuse is alcoholism. The world Health in Agha (2003; 86) defined alcoholism thus;

Alcoholics are those excessive drinkers whose dependence upon a whole has attained such a degree that it shows a noticeable mental disturbance or an interference with their bodily or mental health, their interpersonal relationships and their smooth social and economic functioning; or who shows the early signs of such development.

Thus once an individual is entrapped into alcoholism he becomes morally degenerated.

“There is deterioration of character” (Agha 2003:88). It can therefore lead to all kinds of immorality, like rape, armed robbery, murder, etc.

4.1.6 Ineffective family orientation/Moral Decay

At the social and spiritual level of violent crime is a form of moral debasement, it reflects ineffective social institutions and an ethical fall and moral degradation. There is no gainsaying the fact that most of the youths, who perpetrate these violent acts of criminality in the state are victims of warped family orientation for whom moral values is meaningless.

Their behaviour is suggestive of the fact that their orientation is devoid of quality home training; moral or religious bent that appeals to good conscience. “They have grown to lack any form of conscience, and if at all, it has been seared and with hot iron ” (Adaramola 2011:).

The deviant and criminal behaviours of the youths are not far from what may have been inculcated in them in terms of value system. In a society or family, where parents and guardians ignominiously place premium on materials acquisition and the physical well-being of their children far above sound moral ethics and etiquettes of children could produce destructive consequences.

The Abia families have lost their dignity respects and values. “The home behaviour, is under serious attack due to lack of marriage commitment lack of role models, poverty and peer preasur” ( Ekeke 2011:np ). Parents have shirked and abdicated their places of moral and ethical leadership as leaders and heads of their respective families. Because of the pursuit of material wealth, social and political powers, parents have undermined the spiritual and religious roles in their families. They pay little or no attention to the character formation of their children.

Husbands and wives compete against each other for money, leadership etc. as a result many marriages end in separation and divorce. Many children are abused, molested and abandoned. Parents have allowed their children to be undisciplined and disrespectful. Many young children are growing in poverty and threatened with peer pressure, homosexual lifestyle and gang activity.

4.1.7 Greed and Materialism

Greed and materialism are sources of anti-social and deviant behaviour. The inclination to amass wealth or “make it” by all means among Abia youths, usually find expression in violent crimes as means of seizing power to amass and acquire wealth. Since the inception of the current democratic dispensation, the ostentatious lifestyle of the few privileged rich has incited a culture of morbid greed and pervasive materialism in the state, a culture that is associated with violent crimes among the youths. This warp value system negates the principle of dignity of labour and replaces it with debase and permissive get-rich

quick mentality. “On the account of this culture of primitive accumulation, even governments in these developing capitalist societies like Nigeria are not too eager to probe the sources of personal wealth” (Ommode 2000:ss36).

Crime is a fallout of stupendous display of inexplicable wealth by the leaders.

“Abians are people with a long history of reverence to values” (Adindu 2011:20), but it is unfortunate that Abia has descended from those dizzying heights of moral awe to the nadir of immorality and criminality. “Indeed, it is probably the mindless pursuit of wealth as an end itself rather than as a means to an end that created the economic bubble that ultimately brought us doom” (Igwe 2011: backpage) Provoked by pervasive ostentation greed and materialism Emeh (2008:11) warned;

That the well-headed members of our society cannot afford to continue to regale or bask in personal aggrandizement and flamboyance in the midst of wanton neglect and deprivation of the poor majority in the country is buttressed by the current scenario where the children of the seemingly economically marginalized have grown up and started seeking a kind of reparation for socio-economic injustices suffered by their parents through violent means like armed robbery, thuggery and ransom driven kidnapping.

There are those that are too impatient with life and are unwilling to accept their situations in life. They desire to make it quick. Thus the larger number of people involve in these violent crimes are young people especially those in their early twenties and thirties. They always want to acquire all the latest things they can lay their hands on. According to Olumide et al

(2004:12)

The pressure of ego and pride and wanting to acquire the latest things have really make people to go out of their way to commit atrocities in order to get all these latest things. Apart from personal pride and ego, pressure from parents also lead some young people to go to the extreme to satisfy their parents.

The fact that robbers normally badge into their victims at night in their homes and even in the day time with the sole intention to part with their money or other material possessions has

underscored high influence of greed and materialism. Robbers, kidnappers especially embark on the dastardly arts for fetish money making purposes, lamenting about this ugly situation

Ademola (2011: np ) wrote that;

Obviously committing the sin for fetish money making purposes, suggests the pivotal place which filthy lucre or banality occupies in the hearts of some youths of today above any other considerations. They could not imagine how anything would dare stand between them and their crazy craves for riches. It is a regression into the bestial level, for which we must all rise and cry against.

The effects of greed and materialism more often then not find expression in violent crimes.

4.2 Effects

The effects of violent crimes in Abia have been categorized under social effects, psychological effects and political effects for easier assessment.

4.2.1 Social

The menace of violent crimes in Abia has badly bruised and bastardized the image and reputation of the state. Indeed the much- touted investment drive of the present Ochendo

Administration, as the present government is fondly addressed, would be undermined by the worsening incidents of insecurity, if nothing serious is done.

It has brought about unprecedented displacement. People have relocated in droves to nearby states and beyond, in search of safety. Social activities have really been paralyzed.

According to Jerome (2010:4)

All primary and secondary schools, many hospitals, churches, hotels, industries and other business closed, to the extent that nobody attended Night vigils or carry out morning cries. Ceremonies were abruptly ceased. It was a case of a city in desolation.

In Aba for instance, during the heat of the kidnapping saga, almost all the streets became desolate as vehicles and human beings disappeared from the streets. It was only commercial buses, taxis and keke Napep that adorned the roads. In terms of human beings, the streets

wore skeletal look as one could easily count the number of people in the major roads.

Furthermore, Jerome (2010:4) noted that;

The few who had no place to flee to, live in eerie silence and rag-tag clothes as the hoodlums messed up the whole city. They resulted to live a low profile life by disguising themselves as not to attract attention of these hoodlums.

One Mr. Celestine Ezeoma an Aba resident was reported as saying that:

When our people understood that, the state government could not fight the menace again some of us decided to close shop and relocate our families. In most cases, people who refused to relocate pretended to be either mad people or were stricken with strange disease (Kumolu, 2010:4).

Families were forced to abandon their residences especially in Aba and relocated to safer places. “In Ukwa West even police post was shut down by the hoodlums” (Sampson

2011:32). In a higher criminal feat, Amanze (2010:np) noted that; “Having conquered

Akpaa, Abala , Ntigha, Uzo and Ibeme, they moved into Ovom area where the entire village were compelled to flee their homes. Over 5,000 houses have been totally abandoned in the community”. Commenting on the kidnapping of 15 schoolchildren in Aba Abia state, the

Nation Newspaper in its editorial of Friday, October 1, 2010 also observed that;

Even more than other abduction cases, this one underlines the nadir to which Nigeria has fallen as a nation: It cannot guarantee the security and safety of its most innocent members. Coming as it does only a few weeks after the high- profile abduction of some journalists in the same state, it is a clear pointer to the complete failure of the federal and state governments as well as the police to deal with the menace that has sullied the reputation of Abia state in particular.

Violent crimes rubbish the image of a society but the case of 15 school children worsened the image of the state and the country in the eyes of global community. It paints a picture of an area where there is insecurity of lives and property. Following the release of the children on the October 1 2010, Chief T.A Orji, the state Governor was reported to have said that it was unimaginable how he could have started celebrating Nigeria’s Golden Jubilee anniversary

when the children were still held in captivity. He as well disclosed that his wife Mrs. Oduchi

Orji had already cancelled the children’s independence party scheduled for the day because of the ugly development (Onuoha 2010).

Another worrisome aspect of these violent rituals in the state is the fact that whenever the hoodlums in their brazing fashion attacked state government security agents, innocent civilians and traders in the area will consequently bear the brunt. On May 2010, when a robbery gang attacked a team of anti-terrorists squad of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) at

Osisioma roundabout, where they abducted one and killed another, the police instead of going after the hoodlums in their misplaced anger attacked innocent citizens. According to

Ofurum (2010: np) “Rather than go after the hoodlums, they picked on innocent civilians and traders at the Osisioma motor park, sacked them and set their shops and wares ablaze.” They also sacked a community at Obingwa Local Government Area because it was alleged that they haboured criminals. (Ofurum 2010). This is terrible and makes the people to live in fear and danger, because it makes the people to be perplexed and afraid of both the criminals that are terrorizing with reckless abandon and the police that are supposed to protect them.

It is also worrisome to note that in most cases of insecurity analyses and statistics Abia state always feature. According to Umejei (2010: np)

In December 2009, police Affairs Minister, Yakubu Lame, disclosed that 512 cases of kidnapping had been recorded from January 2008 to June 2009 against 353 recorded as at 2008. Rundown statistics indicates that Abia state led the pack with a total of 110 kidnap incidents; Imo recorded 58 kidnaps 109 arrests, 41 prosecutions and one death. Delta recorded 44 kidnap cases 43 release, 27 arrests, one death and Akwa-Ibom recorded 40 kidnap cases, 418 arrests, and 11 prosecutions.

It is indeed very embarrassing for the state to top the insidious chart.Another disturbing statistics of Law and Human Rights 2010 recorded that;

It is estimated that about 600 persons had been kidnapped in the Southeast-Nigeria, between January 2007 and May 2010.Abia State records the highest number of violent crimes. It is also the doyen of vigilante militancy and gun-culture in the Southeast. Abia is closely followed by Anambra State, which has recorded over 150 kidnap cases since 2007, with Nnewi alone accounting for at least 92.(Umeagbalasi 2010:np).

Violent crimes have really brought bad name to Abia State, even among neighbouring States.

Iriekpen (2010) reported that Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State while enumerating some of his achievements since he assumed office as the state Governor on 26 October, 2007 told journalists that one of the challenges bedeviling his administration was the issue of insecurity, especially from the neighbouring Abia State. Even when it is a public knowledge that some violent crimes like kidnapping came into Abia through other Niger Delta States like Rivers, it seems as if Abia’s case was worse; that even those that supposed to be their principal in the heinous business are seriously disturbed about the alarming dimension it has taken in the State.

4.2.2 Psychological

The psychological effects of violent crimes can be devastatingly worrisome. Victims of violent crimes can suffer for years. The physical wound may heal but the emotional trauma lingers. There will be heightened feeling of fear and anxiety, flashbacks or nightmares. In his open letter to the governor of Abia state Eke (2011:np) wrote that;

In 1997 or there about, while returning from school in Aba, my children saw a man bushing wheel barrow with lots of people with machetes walking behind him. In the wheelbarrow were the heads and body parts of people that had been killed by the Bakassi boys. They often saw dead bodies supposedly criminals by Bakassi boys on the roads. Not innocent people were killed during this time. It was not uncommon for people to settle old scores by instigating the Bakassi boys to kill their enemies by claiming that they were criminals. Up till today my children are still traumatized by that experience.

In line with Eke’s observation, reacting to the kidnapping of 15 nursery and primary school children, The Nation Newspaper in its editorial of Friday, October 1, 2010 observed that,

The horror, sorrow and grief which kidnapping usually provoke have been multiplied a hundredfold. The agony of the parents of kidnapped children is better left to the imagination, thousands of apprehensive parents and guardians all over the country now fearfully contemplate their children and wards, realizing their vulnerability to abduction. (The Nation 2010)

The impact on the children may be far-reaching. It can cause later aggressive behavioural problems. Those who witnessed the uprisings in Aba may become more fearful to the world around them; they may even be less sensitive to the pains and sufferings of others around them. They are more likely to behave in aggressive and hurtful manners towards others.

In some cases, the hoodlums will beat and brutalize their victims in sadistic rage probably not because they refused to co-operate but to strike terror in them. Violent attacks like rape, particularly on females portend gross physical health and psychological effects. It has therefore been observed that such violent especially can cause great damages. According to Ojukwu (2006:36) “Hospital and police records in Nigeria and elsewhere, indicate that sexual violence is the cause of maternal mortality, unwanted pregnancy, trauma, bleeding, mental problems, HIV/AIDS and sexually Transmitted diseases (STDs)”

In some cases the victims are left to bear the brunt of physical, emotional and health damages associated with violent crimes for a long time and in most cases forever.

Meanwhile some people are said to be faced with sleeping problems, eating problems, headaches, increase level of arousal, cognitive confusion, poor concentration, memory difficulties, distressing dreams or nightmares, intrusive thoughts or images.(Pius 2011:np)

The anger and agony of the bereaved is untenable, for instance, Mrs Apolina Igbokwe 78, the mother of the kidnapped and murdered Pastor Dominic Igbokwe wept bitterly as she called

God to strike the killers of her son with Holy Ghost fire. Dike (2011:24 & 33) reported that the woman said;

The almighty God will punish those that killed my son. I want them to be killed also. They must suffer the same fate like my son. Holy Ghost fire will kill all of them that connived to snuff life out of my son. My

son supposed to bury me and not me burying him. The torture is too much for me to endure …I cannot forgive those that killed my son because his death has affected my health so much.

Same was reported of Mrs Uwakwe the mother of Princess Zainab Chinasa Uwakwe, the lady who was allegedly raped to death on October 5, 2010 by Divisional Police Officer in Aba,

DPO Kabiru. According to Umahi (2011:63)

It was further gathered that Zainab’s mother’s health deteriorated, as a result of her daughter and the way the matter is being handled. “Mama, who is hypertensive, is living by the grace of God because she keeps shedding tears every minute of the day. We know that Zainab cannot come back but at least let justice be done to assuage the pains of her death in such a horrendous manner”. Favour said

Favour is the late Zainab’s younger sister.

The manner of death and the pains the victims suffer in the hands of their abductors is

what no one can even wish an enemy. On the case of Pastor Desmond Igbokwe, one of

the suspects Onuora was reported to have confessed that he held the hands of the victim

while his colleague, “Ohieri, sliced his throat with a knife. Even as the pastor pleaded that

they should rush him to hospital, they refused and the man bled to death as they watch

him die” (Dike 2011:24)

Abians now live in an atmosphere of fear especially residents in Aba. They have been

known to scamper for safety whenever pandemonium struck, whether the threats were

real or even imagined. Unscrupulous elements and mischief-makers exploit the precarious

security situation to raise false alarm or baseless rumours to further compound public

apprehension and insecurity.An Aba resident narrating the wave of criminality was

reported by Kumolu (2010:4) as saying that, “all my life I’ve never seen a thing like that.

These boys would come and terrorize everybody and cart away large sums of money.

Daily, we lived in great fears and danger. We could not sleep with even one eye closed”

All these can massively affect the mental health of the people. Of a truth, the magnitude of absurdity inherent in this distasteful act leaves much to be desired.

4.2.3 Effects Economic

The soaring rate of violent crime brought about insecurity, which made business to close down and forced investors to leave the area. It will take many years to convince these investors to return to the state where there is insecurity. Even the state Governor Chief T.A

Orji noted that “the activities of the hoodlums have retarded development in Abia State”.

(Onuoha 2010:5)

Economic growth and development in Abia has become stultified as a result of violent crimes turning the states into perpetual underdevelopment. The ugly effects of violent crimes on the state’s socio-political and economic development are extremely pervasive. At a time business and commercial activities in Abia which is basically boosted by customers from outside the state who come through the Enugu-Port-Harcourt, Aba-Ikot Ekpene, Aba-Owerri and other major routes that link the state stopped coming hence the route were taken over by the hoodlums. In most cases, commuters and travelers using these routes were attacked, robbed and kidnapped. This has brought business activities in the state to its knees.

Though following the worsening state of roads and other infrastructures in the state companies started folding up, relocating to other areas as investors found the Abia business environment as uncomfortable, violent crimes capped it all and made investing in the state both discouraging and distasteful. The kidnapping of four journalists and fifteen school children in 2010, portrayed Abia as a hot bed of kidnapping especially and other violent crimes. Abia state became a dark spot both in the eyes of the citizens and international community, losing economic activities as investors would be scared due to rising insecurity, and consequently it has a spiral effect on business in the state.

Banks even closed shops and they lost huge capital, which they can hardly regain.

Offor (2010:9) reported that “Commercial banks in Aba, the commercial and industrial hub of Abia state have, for the fifth time in less than four months, hurriedly shut down for business due to fear of insecurity in the state”. These incessant closures were precautionary measures as a result of violent crimes going unabated in the state. At times the closure may even last for a week depending on the severity of the precarious security situation in the state and for the number of days it may last. They really raked homes, restaurants and banks. In fact, many banks folded up some of their Aba outlets. According to Jerome (2010:5)

Many banks folded up some of their Aba outlets. The whole white missionaries at the West African Headquarters of Church of Latter Day Saints at Aba left the city by 3am under heavy military escort. More than 76 hotels closed shops. Landlords abandoned their houses and edifices. On a minimum average, over 40 people were kidnapped on daily basis.

The loss of human resources is enormous; According to Offor (2010:6)

Scores of medical doctors, lawyers and all kind of people have been abducted and taken to the kidnappers den in the thick forests of Obehie, Ukwa, Osisioma , Ntigha Uzo, Abala and several other communities. Engineers from a telecommunications firms lost their lives to the firepower of the deadly boys.

In some other cases, the hoodlums often shoot sporadically and indiscriminately, killing bystanders and injuring many other innocent citizens.

Even transport companies suffer under the rising effects of violent crime in the state.

Pervasive incidence of violent crime affected customer traffic of the state. The natives who hitherto come back home from time to time especially during festivities, would not dare it, thereby taking the dwindling economic fortunes of violent crime to the garage of transport companies. It as well affected taxis and keke napep operators within the state.

It is instructive to underscore that one of the most worrisome spiral effect of violent crime in the state is the relocation of businesses hitherto domiciled in the state to other safer

places. Such relocation of business venture is believed to have led to loss of source of livelihood by many and compounded the problem of unemployment and poverty in the state.

(Umejei 2010). The security situation in the state has worsened the people’s economic well- being. Even the state’s business has been affected adversely, because business can hardly thrive in an atmosphere of insecurity.

Following the attack on Friday May 15, 2010 by dare-devil armed robbery gang on a team of anti-terrorist squad of the Nigerian Police Force, stationed at the Osisioma roundabout, along

Enugu-PortHacourt Express way, killing one and abducting another, the consequent Police reprisal attack paralysed business activities in the State. Ofurum (2010:np) reported that;

Apparently irked by the loss of their men, a detachment of the anti- terrorist squad reinforces the next day at about 5.00pm and launches a reprisal attack. Rather than go after the hoodlums, they picked on innocent civilians and traders at the Osisioma motor Park, sacked them and set their shops and wares ablaze.

Consequent upon this, the victims, whose business premises, shops and wares were destroyed, urge the state Government to compensate them for the losses. The victims were reported as saying

We do legitimate business and rely on our various trades to provide for our families as well as contribute to the economic growth of the state through taxes and levies to the government. Idleness brews negativity and most of us would not want to soil our hands, as it is not the type of life we are meant to live so, government should please come to our aid. We want government to compensate us for the losses. There is nothing else we are seeking for. (Offurum 2010:np)

The effect of the criminality that pervaded the state even affected economic activities in the neighbouring states. According to Amanze (2010:np)

The police at Akpa Police station abandoned the station when they could no longer handle the superior firepower of the boys. With the police scared to the boots, the kidnappers spread their tentacles and started mounting blockades on the Aba Ikot Ekpene expressway for unsuspecting travelers from Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, who were on their way to Lagos, Port Harcourt or even Aba for business trip.

Thus the activities of the hoodlums did not just affect business in the state but in other neighbouring states as innocent travelers passing through the state were either robbed, kidnapped or even killed.

At the height of worsening state of insecurity in Abia, the National Association of

Chambers of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), expressed displeasure over the precarious security situation;

The security challenges had worsened the already bad and unfriendly business environment that is negatively affecting the growth of business and socio-economic activities of the area. If industries are closing shops and investors are not forth coming because of the insecurity and other attendant problem faced by businesses, then the future, particularly that of the children should agitate the minds of everybody (Umejei :2010:3)

The unfortunate trend portrayed Abia in a bad light. No businessman worth his name would want to invest his money in a place that is not safe for business.

Regretting the increasing wave of violent crimes and its attendant economic implication, Archbishop and the Prelate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the

Reverend Nicholas Okoh warned that the Abia business community might be completely ruined, if measures are not put in place to tackle kidnapping. According to the man of God,

If what I saw in Aba is anything to go by, and the wave of wanton destruction is not curbed, the communities would be completely ruined. There is no viable life anymore, no good roads, the markets are in decline, and banks are forced to suspend operations due to incessant robberies. We are baffled that 40 years after the horrors of the (Nigeria Biafra) civil war, from which we are yet to fully recover, we have set out in another war against ourselves. This is self-destruction (Umejei 2010:np)

The economic cost on the part of the state is enormous. At a time Nigerian police force and other security agencies in the country resolved to pay special attention to states in the South

East in order to rid them of kidnappers and armed robbers. “And to this, they have to decide to acquire special helicopters to trace the hideouts of these criminals and bring them to book”

(Ofurum 2010:np) . Even resources that would have been channeled to other developmental projects in the state have been used in combating violent crimes. The ex-commissioner of information Dr ACB Agbazuere informed reporters that;

As a way of improving and collaborating with security agencies, the government of Abia State under Chief Theodore Ahamefula Orji, before this period provided over 160 Hilux vans to the different security agencies in the state, with communication gadgets … It is on record that it is only in Abia State that the IG of police has visited twice to receive equipments handed over to the Nigerian Police by the Abia state government. (Kumolu 2010: np).

It is disheartening that while other states are making enviable records in developmental initiatives, Abia is breaking insidious record of fighting crime. Today businesses are only managing to survive as some of the big companies have either folded up or forced to relocate from the state.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE ROLES OF THE CHURCH

The advent and history of the church in Nigeria has been intricately intertwined with social welfare, human and societal development. The church has been a major source of social services. The salutary impact of the church is visible in every strata of the people’s well-being. The church was involved in the introduction of modern education and civilization, dispensaries, maternity homes and hospitals, crop varieties and mechanized system of agriculture, abolition of atrocious evils and superstitious customs, preservation of human rights culture. They were committed to pragmatic evangelism, social welfare and general concern for moral and human development which epitomize the genuine love of

Christ. The church no doubt made tangible efforts in offsetting the many challenges confronting the people.

However a critical look at the present activities of the church in the contemporary society will reveal that the salutary and contributory impact of the church on societal development is on the downward swing, unlike the historical and eventful missionary days.

The humane activities of the church brought about relative peace, appreciable level of human and societal development. In a similar vein, this chapter emphasizes the urgency for the churches in Abia to stand to their feet, come back on track and synergize with the state. And get to the roots of these challenges. Nigerians and Abians especially, need to abhor criminality and shun deviancy, because they are destroying the foundations of ‘God’s Own

State’. But when the foundation of the state is being destroyed, “what can the righteous do?”

(Psalms 11:3). It therefore highlights and underscores the roles of the church as a time tested stronghold and custodian of morality, peace human and societal development.

5.1 Social

In earnest bid to tackle violent crimes the pervasive show off lifestyle of ostentation and flamboyancy should be patently addressed. The fall-out of the Nigerian warp culture that glorifies wealth by all means has been the arrogant exhibition of riches by the few privileged

Nigerians. Unfortunately, the church that is expected to champion this crusade is also culpable. Abia youths have witnessed unnecessary and flagrant display of affluence even by church leaders. “Some church leaders live luxurious lifestyles that are devoid of modern day reality. We have also seen churches engage in similar economic activities, some of which borders on societal moral values” (Osiyemi: 2011:np). It is indeed, regrettably lugubrious, that the church has not insulated itself against this show of excessive affluence in the face of frustration and deep sense of injustice among the poor masses.

As the hope of the common-man, the church should therefore treat and immunize itself of this ailment. There should therefore be appropriate regulation, and over sight on the financial practices of these churches. Among Pentecostal churches, especially the one - man - business type, the church council should be constituted with honest men of wisdom, who are filled with the Holy Spirit, those who can courageously call the General Overseer to order, if he is found going contrary to biblical and acceptable standards. The council like the biblical

Deacons of Acts 6 should pay additional attention to the welfare of the common people among their congregation.

Having purged itself of the malady and armed with the moral stereotactic devices. The church should carry a surgical operation on the cancerous cells of arrogant and irritant exposition of affluence among the nouveaux rich members. The church should be an eye- opener and make them to realize that their flamboyant life style among the staggering poor majority is a distortion of value and economic sabotage. The church should admonish and prevail on them to channel their wealth in establishing a viable economic base, which will

incorporate the poor and give them a sense of belonging. It will also pacify certain frayed nerves that would have made violent crime their next option.

The various locations of churches in every nook and cranny of the state should make a great deal of impact on their immediate environment. They should be involved in the provision of social amenities for the people. They should dig boreholes and provide Medicare services, especially for the people that are not in the position to afford it. The Church should re-establish her own hospitals and dispensary homes, which will be staffed and managed by her members to ensure efficiency.

They should assist to keep Abia youths positively engaged. If the required infrastructure is provided, dress, bag and shoe-makers in Abia can compete favourably with

Italy, China, Dubai and the likes. This is what Abia especially Aba is popularly known for. It will be cheering if the leaders of various churches in the state will unite and approach the

Minister of power Prof Bath Nnaji who is Igbo son and as such will be interested in the development of Igboland. The Church leaders should appeal to Nnaji to finish the independent energy in Abia that seems to be abandoned. One believes that when this power project is completed, it will encourage most artisans that depend largely on electric power for their work. It will also stimulate other development projects in the state.

It is not enough to fight crime but, it is better to fill the void with permanent solution.

The devil lures the idle mind to doing evil (Nwachineke 2010). In addition therefore, the church leaders should also meet with the state Governor with the view of establishing a trade zone within Aba area. This researcher is suggesting Ugwunagbo area. Here there should be regular power supply, installed central industrial machines, and access road constructed to facilitate business transactions within the production zone. This will boost the quality and production of those traditional skills like shoe making, bag-making etc., that the state is known for. According to Azu (2011:np)

Some of the more popular Aba made products that can with others beyond the shores of Nigeria, include British and French suites, shirts and trousers; traditional wears such as Senators, Senegalese, Safari, Kaftan, Etibor; and leather works, such as shoe, belt, wallets, slip-on, and bags

This will no doubt impact enormously on the youth as some of the criminal- minded ones would be engaged.

There is great need for all Abians to be united. Unity is an integral ingredient of successful life, progressive development and unequal accomplishment. The church should try and unite and broker peace among mutually antagonistic communities. Violent crime can hardly stop in Abia without this unity of purpose. The Old Bende and Ngwa people dichotomy which had made the Ngwa people think that they are being marginalized politically, should be breached. The church should weld in and let both Ngwa and Old Bende know that they are now brothers and sisters under one fatherhood called Abia.

Abia (as a state) can hardly experience peace, love and development and progress, in their communities without being united. The state will make gigantic headway if her people come together with one spirit. “Unity of purpose produces great accomplishment, enduring relations and treasured memories” (Ekeke 2011: np), the church must assist the people to strive and build bond of love; instill it in their children and families. This unity will be essential in the erosion of sense of deprivation. It will instead bring about cohesion, peace and progress. With the preponderance of marginalization, there is therefore compelling need for unity among all Abians especially Ngwa and Old Bende. No other institution can do this better than the church. The church should therefore do whatever is morally necessary to build bond of unity among Abians.

The church should seek for license to establish at least two more private Christian radio stations like Vision Africa (104.1), the only private radio station in the state. It has been observed that Abians like listening to radio stations. With this, the church can reach more

millions of people within and beyond Abia state. The station(s) will champion moral, educational, spiritual and inspirational broadcasting. This will empower their ardent listeners with moral rectitude and required attitude to life. It will assist in the restoration of sanctity of

Abia as ‘God’s Own State’. Moreover it will also provide employment for the people and reduce the effects of unemployment and idleness which can trigger off crime.

All the schools beginning from primary should be returned to the churches, their rightful owners in order to restore sound moral educational system, a system that will be marked by enviable moral and educational standards. There is no gainsaying the fact that if the churches are fully in charge those acceptable global standards in education will overshadow the minimum standard that is common place among the public schools.

No doubt, moral decadence and criminality can also be traced to the confiscation of the missionary schools by government in 1970 (Ubabukoh, 2011). The full seizure accounted for dilapidated infrastructure, loss of discipline, delinquency and criminality. It is indeed a universal knowledge that prior to the seizure, the churches more than any other group or government had mostly contributed to the establishment and advancement of education. The churches are the pioneers and pacesetters. They solidly built and maintained most of the public (government) primary and secondary school in Abia, Methodist College Uzuakoli, St

Joseph College Aba, Ibeku High School Umuahia, and various others may suffuse as example.

Lamenting about the inefficient of schools under the watch of government,

Ubabukoh(2011:np) regretted that :

Nor is government a reliable manager of schools. Its takeover of the schools in 1970 marked the beginning of examination malpractice, students’ resort to question-and-answer booklet, teachers’ lackadaisical attitude to work and collapse of total discipline in the countries school system. The result is crass decline in moral and educational standard which permeate the society.

When the schools are returned to the churches, the government should make a bold step further to support it financially by disbursing money to the churches, they should continue to fund the schools and payment of teachers’ salary, just like Anambra state government has recently done under Peter Obi (Ubabukoh, 2011). The church should be given the power for effective and efficient management. They should reserve the power to employ and sack teachers.

This will restore discipline and confidence in the schools. Those teachers that cannot cope with the school and the rigorous discipline demanded in missionary schools will be shown the exit door. A situation where teachers will be in their market stalls during school hour will cease. Any teacher that seem not to be devoted to his or her duties will be fired by the missionary school management. Thus moral goodness will prevail and the pupils and students would benefit a lot as this will help to shape their personalities in conformity with acceptable ethical and societal standards.

The church must lay emphasis on the necessity of moral and sound education and ensure that each child gets a sound education. Since some of the schools have been handed back to the churches, the church should partner with education policy makers in order to enact policies that will be of immense benefit to the students and the state. At primary level especially, they should design curriculum that can compete globally.

“The school curriculum must be designed to nurture the student to become not just an intellectual giant but a public moralist for community and nation” (Ekeke 2011; np). The church should therefore transform these schools into centers of character development, where pupils and students are nurtured and nourished with high academic achievement and moral equipment. This will restore the schools to its main developmental toes as institution for moral and intellectual armament.

5.2 Religious

Judging by the sobriquets ‘God’s Own State’ and ‘God’s Own People’ Abia should have been a moral haven, especially coupled with the fact that every corner of the state can boast of one form of church or another. With different mediums the Gospel message is preached almost everywhere, in the motor parks, markets, inside buses, offices, work places etc. It is therefore worrisome that cases of immorality and criminality is on the upward swing, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, extra-judicial killing the list is endless. Irrespective of the strive to propagate the Gospel, many still indulge in nefarious acts and crime. Ordinarily a state that has its foundation on the name and word of God should have little or nothing to do with criminality.

Therefore, the tradition of resorting to government and its institutions to intervene on the state at the height of every era of criminality and to wield the big stick and bring the culprits to book is not sufficient. It is therefore of compelling necessity to get to the root of the casual factors of this pervasive criminality and address them profoundly. As have been observed, the fact is that there is a disturbing moral decay in the state which has bred innumerable forms of criminality and absurdity in the state. They church should be nauseated by the decaying moral values that led to this criminality.

The church remains the undisputed conscience of the God’s Own State, the voice of the voiceless and the only institution the down trodden can rely on to champion their cause at critical moments. The church as a conscientious objector should be the moral voice protesting the malfeasance of the powerful who have continued to subjugate and dehumanize the powerless and the helpless in the state that should have little or no business with poverty, hunger and underdevelopment given its human and natural endowments. There have been cases of cult, shrines (Okija) in the leadership of the state. The church should rise up and assist in flushing the cult leadership that has dominated the political space and culture in the

state. In doing this, the church must also examine itself. It should beware of some church leaders who are members of secret cults. They should beware of those church leaders whose sources of power may be traceable to evil forces. Flushing cult leadership will bring back the leadership of the state on its moral toes. This will entrench moral value and ethical standard in the state.

Renouncing negative thoughts and ideas require deep understanding of the causes of one’s actions. The church should ensure that these youths and those coming behind them in the state and in the larger Nigeria society do not tow this ignoble path. They should be made to realize the law of retributive judgment. For whatever a man sows, he will reap. They should be made to understand that anyone who sows the seed of wickedness in his youth would reap abundance of evil in the twilight of his years on earth.

The leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and Pentecostal

Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), which are the general umbrella of most churches, should evolve a tradition of dedicating the state to God at the beginning of every year and also a thanksgiving to God at the end of every year. Under the organization of CAN and PFN the spiritual heads of the different churches should oversee this. The church leaders should introduce the concept of solemn assembly which will enjoin people of the state to participate in interdenominational service that supplicates God’s blessings for the people of the state. If this concept is established and imbibed as a standard practice, ministries , parastatals and departments should be holding monthly solemn assembly in supplication for peace and development.

As Abia is founded in God, there is need for unseasoned prayers. Prayer has the potentiality to strengthen and equip the state to fight any type of battle that confronts it fearlessly and successfully. Prayer is in fact, the only solution to all human problems; it succeeds where all human efforts seem to have failed. Though Christians are already enjoined

to pray without season ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17), but considering the state of affairs in Abia and Nigeria at large, this is a time prayers are mostly needed in the body polity. The state faces what is undoubtedly the most serious moral crisis, since its birth in 1991. The situation is aptly captured in the Catholic Church ‘Prayer for Nigeria in Distress’, thus; “Lord we are weighed down not only by uncertainties but also by moral economic and political problems”

(fathersproject.wordpress.com2011/…). It is in line with this thought that Ugwu (2002:26) observed that;

Prayers we know can change things. Nigerian Christians have the onerous responsibility of praying for the nation in distress and in a state of corruption as already initiated by Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). This will definitely change the fraudulent, recalcitrant and dissident person within the shortest possible time.

The church should faithfully and fervently pray for Abia and Nigeria at large, for the

effective prayers of the righteous avail much (James 5:16). Abia should be submitted and

handed over to the perfect care of the Almighty God, so that He will take absolute charge

and protect the state against any destructive force, for if God does not protect Abia and

Nigeria at large, in vain labours the entire security apparatus. It has been confirmed that the

prayers of the righteous and faithful have been of immense help in sustaining and keeping

Nigerian society from degenerating into total abyss. According to Madugba(2005:71);

That Nigeria is still striving today and has not been consumed by God’s fierce wrath and judgment is because of national intercessors who have decided to give themselves and God no rest until He makes Nigeria a praise on earth and a delight in His heart( Isaiah 62:2-7). Nigeria is not better than several other nations in Africa that have been devastated by war and famine. It is Gods mercies that are sustaining her because some are standing in the gap for her.

Just like the Aba Diocese of Christ the King Catholic Church, CKC Aba on Friday 30, 2010 staged a one week prayer and fasting, which brought about the fifty two parish of the

Catholic Church in the state together. It attracted a congregation of over 22 towns and parishioners. It is heartwarming that the Arch Bishop of Aba, His Lordship Vincent Ezeonyia

who presided the event did not just ask for peace and progress of the state but he also prayed for the leadership of the state. According to Ubochi (2010:np);

They also prayed for the Government to rescue them from the deplorable conditions of hopelessness, insecurity and kidnapping, lack of motorable roads, access to portable clean water, constant power supply, industrial closures, market closures and a total meltdown of the economy and glory of Abia.

Other churches that have not been engaging in such prayer should endeavour and initiate it.

The churches should intercede for the state in their special prayer programmes for God to intervene in the affairs of the state that is incessantly in dire straits. With sincere prayers of the righteous Abia will surely survive.

5.3 Socio-economic

In spite of the continuous propagation of the Good News, there is continuous increase in crime rate mainly because the church has done little practicable work in impacting on the lives of the people. It is instructive to recall that in chapter four of this work, the diagnosis of the current rise in upsurge of armed crime in Abia has it that the ever increasing level of unemployment and poverty are chief contributory factors.

The church as a matter of fact, has performed below expectation in empowering its members economically and to make them self-reliant (Amoah 2011). Many churches even contributed in the impoverishment of its members by turning themselves business entities, tasking, exploiting and siphoning the resources of their numbers. According to Amoah.

(2001:np )

Instead of religious groupings integrating business education into their mainstream operations, a chunk of them only commentate on programs that can generate money for just the church “if you give more to Christ, you will receive more from Him” messages continue to dominate the activities of the modern church.

Among the many churches in the state only very few are interested in the economic situations or material wellbeing of their numbers. It is obviously rare to see a church

organizing seminars say on fish farming, snail production, and bee keeping for its members.

It is therefore imperative for the church to endeavour and integrate economic empowerment programme of the members into the mainstream religious activities in order to reduce incidents of unemployment and poverty on which springboard crimes thrives.

The church should in this regard supplement the efforts of government in providing the economic succour. They should dish out soft loans to the members who wish to engage in small scale businesses. Robust private sector can tackle poverty frontally and extirpate from the people the meanness of wickedness and criminality. On the other hand, it will be also expected that those Christians who are beneficiaries of this godly spirited gesture will internalize the motive behind and manage it prudently and responsibly, in order to achieve the desired goal. The church should practically show that they are uncomfortable with the soaring insecurity in the state and the gradual diminishing of human essence.

It is public knowledge that most of the state owned industries have ceased production, throwing out thousands of workers into the job market and impacting negatively into the economic status of many families in the state.

The list of the moribund industries includes Modern Ceramics Industries, Umuahia, Aba Textile Mills, Ogwe Golden Chicken, Abia Palm, Aba Glass Industries, among others. A development economists said that as much as 36, 000 jobs were lost as a result of the cumulative effect of the collapse of these industries” ( Ubochi 2010:np).

There is no gainsaying the fact that the moribund nature of these industries which served as the economic pillars of the state has taken its own toll on the state’s economic development and stability. According to Ubochi (2000:np) “Abia is ranked as one of the states with high unemployment rate in the country and the collapse of once viable industries contributed in compounding the problem”. The social impact of these job losses has been the unmitigated explosions of sundry violent crimes in the state. Hence most families that their

bread winners were affected must struggle to make ends meet and this can undoubtedly lead to robbery or kidnapping.

A typical case for all these industries is Golden Guinea Breweries. It used to be an industrial and economic monument in Umuahia, the capital city of Abia. The company which was established in 1960 by the defunct Eastern Nigeria government under the leadership of late Michael Okpara and commenced production in 1960 (Ubochi 2010), should be resuscitated. No doubt with its arrays of products ranging from beer to malt drinks, Golden

Guinea can still make a rebound as a brand name in the entire nation. Bringing these industries back to life will bring about economic revival and industrial revolution. This will help to reinstate the staff and workers of these industries. In addition, it will give a boost to other ancillary economic activities that revolve around these areas, thus the owners of such businesses will heave a sigh of relief as they will reopen their closed shops and even more people will open or move their businesses closer to these business sites.

The church should therefore, assist to revive these industries and restore lost jobs.

However, it is interesting to note that, while other moribund industries are apparently in hopeless condition;

Modern Ceramics is on the verge of coming back to life. The company’s fortune began to change when the UCL Resources and Investments Limited owned by the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia bought it over thereby making the state government relinquish its ownership. Now known as UCL Modern Ceramics, the company was to commence production in 2008 as the rehabilitation work and the installation of machinery have been completed but the company could not install its gas plants owing to bureaucracy of government agencies(Ubochi 2010:np).

The church should be commended so far, for their initiative in reviving one of these industries – Modern Ceramics, Umuahia. It is indeed a step in the right direction. However, the church should dissipate more energy to ensure that the bureaucracy occasioned by government agencies, which has delayed the full installation of its gas plants are addressed. It

is as well a wakeup call for other capable churches to indicate interest in these other moribund industries and buy them off for rehabilitation, resuscitation and recommencement of work. This will generate job for many jobless people in Abia and consequently reduce crime rate.

5.4 Socio-political

Christians should be guided by Christian ethics and exhibit high moral standard and spirituality. Admittedly the Abia political class is peopled by those who profess Christianity but do not operate or are not guided by Christian principles and ethics. Their Christian senses have been vitiated by the gains of politics, which also throws up the do-or-die mentality.

Most of their plans and practices are essentially at variance not only with Christian principles but also with democratic ethos. They can go to any length in order to acquire power, stay protected in power, and prevent any force that might want to remove them before the expiration of their term. There has been litany of exposures of the despicable and the diabolical activities to which the political heavy weights enmeshed themselves in order to perpetuate power and bind loyalty.

Both Orji Uzor Kalu, the ex Governor of Abia state and the incumbent Chief

Theodore Ahamefule Orji have been individually and variously accused in this regard. It was so bad that in a particular tribunal sitting, the opponents of the Governor, Chief T.A. Orji tendered an evidence of the governor being a member of secret cult (Nnanna 2009). In the

2007 April governorship election, the opponents tendered video clip purportedly showing

Orji as being initiated into Okija Shrine. In fact, “The tribunal had quashed Orji’s election on the grounds of alleged affiliation with a secret cult, the Okija Shrine”

(www.igboasics.com/HotNews.html ), although Orji’s fate was later rekindled at a higher court. However, it is so unfortunate that these people who superintend the affairs of the state are diabolical. Angered by this ugly development Nnanna(2009:19) reflected that;

Most of the people ruling us have sold their souls to demons and are completely at their beck and call of what the Holy Bible describes as “principalities and powers in the high places” as well as “wicked princes and of darkness.” Our legislative and executive chambers are filled with such godless individuals who, as if mocking us still insist as being addressed as Honourables and their Excellences.

A cursory look at Abia is obvious that the rot is from the head. The cancerous immorality of the Executive, Legislature and even Judiciary has eaten deep the entire fabric of the state. It is little wonder Abia is bedeviled by poor quality of governance and soaring height of all manner of evil and crime. The leaders are pinned down by the evil oaths they took. Peace and development of the state have been mortgaged to demons by those who arrogated to themselves the leadership mantle of the state. It is these demonic practices and other unlawful and violent political practices such as political gangsterism, thuggery, rigging and general electoral and democratic malpractices that have given the political vocation the inglorious sobriquet of “murky waters of Nigerian politics” or “dirty game”. The political water of Abia has been muddied by morally un- anchored leaders. Most of them are stooges who took oath to remain loyal and faithful to their god-fathers. It has never been in the realms of speculations that Chief T.A. Orji the incumbent governor was a crony of the Kalus’ aristocratic Dynasty and a stooge of the former Governor Chief Orji Uzor Kalu. The dynasty had overbearing infiltration on the governance of the state. “The Dynasty had upper hand.

Almost eighty of all political appointments were imposed the Governor by the Dynasty”

(Ubochi2010:np). In fact Abia nearly collapse under the suffocating grip of this Dynasty.

According to Ubochi (2000:np);

Even though Kalu would boast that he never visited government house since he left office, sources at Umuahia had it that he forced the state to take responsibility of his personal matters like laundry. In February 2009, he was said to have brought in a bill of 13 million as laundry expenses, and N15.4 million for maintenance of generators, and a bill of N22 million from automobile company for maintenance of vehicles. He also allegedly had over 113 staff stationed in his personal houses

around the country and abroad whom he insisted must be pay-rolled by Abia treasury.

Since their faithfulness is not to the Abians but their god-fathers, they collaborate with them to milk the state dry.

In the light of the above, the church should not be complacent and indifferent. Devout members of the church should go into politics and make the desired change and difference.

Abia is desperately in need of God-fearing people that will liberate the state from political bondage by some cabals, since the inception of the current democratic government in 1999. It needs leadership that will free her from the shackles and clutches of evil leadership and machinations of selfish cabals and individuals. The state needs characters of sterling qualities and quintessential integrity that will perform creditably to the glory of God, even in the overwhelming midst of other unbelief and corrupt politicians. The Christian member should see himself as “the salt and light of Abia” in tandem with biblical admonition (Matthew 5:15:

). He should maintain the sanctity of Abia as ‘God’s Own State’ and preserve things from deteriorating. He should bring out the taste and flavour of Abia as the number one state in the nation. The church indeed can preserve the moral and ethical principles which enhance the development of the cultural and social life of the people. The Christian politician should radiate as light so that even those in the remotest part of the state can see the benefits of good governance and dividends of democracy through him.

Genuine church members should also be in the legislative arms of government and be actively involved in the formulation of governance policies. Policies that will address the needs of the majority of the people and checkmate the soaring level of crime, needs God- fearing people. It is in line with this thought that Akama (1998:83) quipped that, “Clearly, if governments lay down policies that are morally defective they will invariably, inter alia, breed a morally decadent society.” There can therefore, be no doubt that with the increase

wave of crime in the state, Abia is in dire need of God-fearing and right thinking policy and law makers, who will formulate policies that will undermine its present reproach rather exalt

Abia as the number one state in the nation; For righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any nation (Proverbs 14:34).The church can honestly restore the quality of life of the people and discourage taking to crime.

An organized church knows most of its members very well more than the larger society and even the government. There is no gainsaying the fact that most of the Abia political leaders are members of one church or the other. It is therefore incumbent on the churches first and foremost to screen its members that are vying for various political positions in the state. Church is not a political party. However, this should even be done prior to various political party primaries. Whomever the church Okays can go ahead and vie for the position he or she is seeking for. The position of the church on each aspirant should not be shrouded in secrecy. Thus, if peradventure the church disapproves any member’s intention for whatever reason and the individual in turn disregarded the church’s position to pursue his or her ambition. The opponent even in the same political party can cash in on that and campaign against the individual. Such political role by the church will help to chum out leaders that have certified moral standing.

Some may wonder the strength of the church or how far the church can go in thwarting people’s political ambitions. But it should not be called to question. A typical example is the neigbhouring Imo state, where the then incumbent Governor Ikedi Ohakim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in April 2011 governoship election, lost to Owelle

Rochas Okorocha, who is even of a minority party All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in addition to other leadership issues but mainly as a result of his alleged flogging of a catholic priest and the churches’ vote of no confidence on his candidature. It was understood that some catholic priest in particular preached against his re-election over the indiscretion of

his security details “A catholic priest was said to have been assaulted by the details over an alleged security breach” (Agukwe 2011np). Even if Ohakim in his wildest insanity could not have ordered the flogging of a man of God, it was seriously used against him. This is irrespective of the fact that he had tendered apology in a state wide radio and television broadcast, which text was published in national news papers. That was after he took his entire cabinet to His Grace Archbishop Anthony John Valentine Obinna, to render an apology

(Agukwe 2011). It was used against him as other politicians especially his opponents latched on this issue to incite Christians against the person of Ohakim and the then ruling PDP in the state. Adesina (2011: backpage) summarized this in the following words;

And as if the regime was jinxed, Ohakim’s security aides also beat up a catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Eustace Okorie, for allegedly obstructing the governor’s convoy with his own car. Beat up a priest in a largely Catholic environment? It was not like sacrilege. It was truly sacrilege. Desecration. Heresy. Even blasphemy. Despite dropping his deputy for a professor who is also a Catholic women leader in his second term bid, the people and the church were not appeased. Ohakim must go. And he went.

The church indeed can thwart and even truncate people’s political ambitions, especially her member politicians.

The church should also try and disown or disassociate or give back bench to any member politician who is performing below expectation. In this wise, the church as a family will act as a moral constituency of the member politician. Such firm stance by the church on unimpressive member politician will bring a sort of disrepute to his image and consequently force him to sit up if he must maintain his church membership and political popularity. In addition, it will serve as a deterrent to other member politicians who think that they can do any how it pleases them in leadership positions.

The church should also join forces with the Nigerian Labour Congress NLC, Trade

Union Congress TUC and other similar organizations in calling political leaders to review the

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cost of governance, especially as regards to the huge remuneration and perquisites of office enjoyed by political office holders. Violent crimes in Abia and Nigeria at large can hardly be addressed without first addressing the issue of public officers’ emoluments.

Indeed, public officers take home should reflect the reality of the average earnings in the economy. The church should as a matter of necessity, add her voice in stressing the need to use the same underlying parameters in setting of salaries or establishing guidelines for all public sector employees and public sector officers. The engagement in speculative and dubious businesses and excessive remuneration of public officers, especially the legislators has contributed to the sorry state of the economy and soaring criminality. Provoked by this imbalance NLC President Omar Abdulwaheed noted thus;

It is instructive that a federal legislator on the average earns about N289 million or more than N24 million of month. Given the minimum wage of N18, 000, this amount will pay III workers for one year. The annual constituency allowance of a senator, which stands at about N1.6 billion, will pay 741 workers a year at N18, 000 minimum wages (Ofikhenua 2011:2).

As the political elite conceive of public office as an opportunity to embezzle public funds for personal purposes, crime has subsequently increased in magnitude. The church therefore should mount up pressure with unionists to ensure that this inequality is addressed.

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CHAPTER SIX

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

6.1 Summary of Findings

The work has been able to bring to the fore and highlighted some critical issues that are overtly or covertly undermined. The acts of triviality and levity that have greeted such sensitive issues have continued to inflame anomalous state of affairs. The interplay of many factors as a result, has contributed to perpetuate violent crimes in Abia state. It has therefore been found that:

• Abia has witnessed astronomical increase in the wave of violent crimes especially

since the inception of the current democratic dispensation.

• Dearth of responsible and responsive leadership and its consequential and collateral

effects as well as the declension of moral and ethical values are the causes of violent

crimes in Abia.

• The exponential increase in violent crime has much to do with the excruciating

conditions and the unbearable rough and tough times that steer the people in the face,

especially with respect to poverty and joblessness.

• Crime is a perilous social evil that has deep-layered and pervasive adverse effects,

which can hinder or impede on the peace, progress and development of the state.

• Most parts of the state especially Aba, the commercial nerve-centre of the state and

the melting pot for Igbo tribe has become the shadow of its own glory owing largely

to the glaring absence of good governance and roof-top crime rate.

• State security forces have not leave up to expectation; instead have contributed to the

brutalization of Abians as they perpetuate lawlessness and crime while pretending to

fight it. Score of people therefore, have been extra-judicially executed or mutilated.

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• Abia is in dire need of God-fearing leadership that will liberate the state from the

pangs of bad and devilish governance, ineffectual and ineffective leadership that have

held sway for the past dozen years.

• The church as custodian and stronghold of morality can assist to extricate the state

from the intricate web of bad leadership, crime and underdevelopment, through moral

rebirth, ethical reawakening and extensive infrastructural development and economic

empowerment of the people.

6.2 Contribution to Knowledge

• This work will be an eye-opener to Abia state government on one hand and

government at all levels on the other hand, that are most times hamstrung as a result

of increasing waves of crime to see the need of partnering with the church in the fight

against crime.

• It will not only ginger and inspire interested researchers who would want to embark

on more studies with respect to crime and the church; it will also serve as reference

material.

• In the field of social sciences and humanities especially sociology and religious

studies, it will become an invaluable material for researches.

• This work will assist security agencies, opinion leaders, and policy and law makers in

analyzing and adopting adequate strategies to the menace of violent crimes.

• The work will serve as a template and wake up call to the church to stand up on its

feet and discharge its moral and socio-political duties without complacence and

indifference.

• It will be an alternative or additional contribution to crime fighting techniques.

• It will help in the discovery of the place of the church and critical role it can play in

fighting the menacing tide of crime. ss 103

6.3 Recommendations

(1) In an attempt to improve the living condition of the people, the church and the

government should synergize and make a collaborative embarkation on numerous

programmes of job creation, skills acquisition, poverty alleviation, empowerment and

capacity building programmes.

(2) Security agencies should be adequately motivated, well equipped with well trained

manpower and resources. There should be rejuvenation of modus operandi of all internal

security operatives in the country. The intelligent gathering mechanisms should be

strengthened. All the security agencies should dissipate more energy and synergize

efforts so that they can proactively nip crimes in the bud.

(3) At the home front, parents and guardians should give their children and wards quality

home training, rich in moral and ethical principles. As the foundational and fundamental

unit of the society, if every family can give a good account of individual members of the

family, violent crimes would be brought to barest minimum.

(4) In the governance of Abia, consultation and consensus building should be a continuous

exercise. In addition to the church and religious leaders, the state government should

engage other stakeholders such as traditional rulers, community leaders, labour unions,

pressure groups and other stakeholders. In an insecurity situation like this they can

convoke an Abia Peace Summit, where a pragmatic and workable roadmap to sustainable

peace and development would be drawn up.

(5) A great deal of attention should be paid on agriculture; hence it is the major occupation of

the people. Soft loans, crop varieties, mechanized farming system and modern farming

skills acquisition should be provided.

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(6) Politics should be devoid of thuggery and violence of any kind. It should be conducted in

decorum and civility. The do-or-die syndrome and winner-takes-all mentality should be

de-emphasized for an inclusive participatory and peaceful democracy.

(7) All the dormant and moribund industries in Abia should be resuscitated to engage

substantial pool of unemployed and redirect their energy to productive use while

restoring their dignity and self-esteem.

(8) The constitutional provisions for criminalization of certain behaviours involving persons,

no matter how highly placed, including the trigger-happy security agents and the

aggressive Bakassi Boys should be dispassionately enforced. When every offence is

severely punished, it becomes a deterrent to intending offenders.

(9) There is conspicuous upsurge and nauseating spectacle of substance abuse in Abia state.

The rate to which the youths and even elderly people have taken solace in drugs and

alcoholism is destructively outrageous. In every nook and cranny of the state, there are

hide-outs and bunks, where the youths relax as they consume all manner of drugs. A

typical example of this site is the notorious ‘York’ in Aba, which is domiciled in York

Street at the heart of the city, closer to Aba Main Park. It is in fact a breeding ground for

violent crimes within the area. The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)

should dislodge them. The laws against drug and substance abuse should be enforced to

the letter.

(10) All the authorities concerned should frontally tackle and checkmate proliferation of

arms. There should be improvement on information exchange mechanism to trace illicit

arms flow and the capacity to monitor and trace light weapons possession and transfer.

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6.4 Suggestions for Further Research

“Increasing Wave of Violent Crimes in Abia State: The Role of the Church” is indeed a broad topic with many components. Moreover the upsurge in crime, especially violent crimes, has assumed a dimension of alarming proportion not only in Abia but Nigeria at large. It is therefore, suggestive to carry out a research on:

1. Violent Crimes: A Threat To Nigeria Corporate Existence.

2. Violent Crimes In Abia State: The Involvement Of Traditional Rulers.

3. “Leadership And Occultism In Abia: The Role Of The Church” or “Diabolical

Means Of Power Acquisition In Abia State: The Role Of The Church”.

4. The Outrageous Rate Of Alcoholism And Drug Abuse In Abia: The Way Out.

5. The Growing Culture Of Miscreants In Abia State: Implication For Security.

6. Ostentation and Flamboyant Life Style in Nigeria: Implication for Crime.

7. Religion and the Challenges of Security in Nigeria: A Threat to Corporate Existence.

6.5 Conclusion

Abia is one of the states God created with his generous magnanimity. It is richly blessed with human and material resources. The problem has been on how to effectively harness these resources for meaningful development. Regrettably, in recent years, Abia has always been in the news for the very wrong reasons. The typical headlines about the state are coordinated and uncoordinated kidnappings, armed robbery, murder, rape and other criminal and immoral practices which portray the state in a very bad light. Thus the slogan, ‘Abia

God’s Own State’ and the people being referred to as ‘God’s Own People’, is simply a paradox of a state brimming with many morally derailed. The reason there is gross moral deficit in every stratum of the state is totally not unconnected to the fact that the church has not done enough to salvage the situation. Every Abian wants peace and crime free society.

They want to sleep with their two eyes closed. And go about their lawful businesses without

106

any fear of harassment, intimidation and molestation. But the soaring wave of violent crime has made this a cherished illusion. There has been no Abian who has not been affected, one way or another by the rampant criminality that pervaded the state and hit the social fabric. If some have not been materially affected, they have felt some psychological discomfort. Yet it has left a permanent scar on the psyche of those that were affected directly. A situation where the mere mention of Abia evokes fear to outsiders and trepidation in residents spells doom.

The church should therefore stand to its toes and render the required and needed assistance.

Seeing that the church is a veritable pool and acceptable platform with outstretched reach and pervasive influence, therefore the church ought to assist the state that is in dire need of purposeful and morally anchored leadership; leadership that will drive service delivery. The church ought to assist the poor and unemployed youth population who continue to drift aimlessly, finding solace in crime. This can be done through moral re-awakening, partnership with the state leadership and the provision of basic necessities of life. In a violent environment, no society can achieve its objectives, as peace and harmony are veritable ingredients for meaningful and sustainable development.

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