Vol. 10, No.1: Theorising Nigerian Crime Problems

Abstract

This comment presents an overview of criminological theories of crime and examines some contemporary crime problems in Nigeria against the backdrop of relevant theories. It also analyses society’s response to each crime problem in the form of government policies and legislation. The paper argues that an appreciable understanding of the different crime theories is fundamental for an effective response to contemporary crime problems and that the response so far has not been reflective of such understanding. It is therefore recommended that criminal policy makers in the legislative, executive and judicial arms of government in Nigeria should be knowledgeable about crime theories so that they can fashion well informed policies, legislative and judicial responses to Nigerian crime problems. Lastly it is recommended that Nigeria should adopt best practices from other jurisdictions in combating its crime problems since its attempts so far have not succeeded.