Opinion

VIOLENT CRIMES IN NIGERIA , THE WAY OUT

A discussion on violent crimes in Nigeria and the way out shall inevitably touch on many areas of life, learning and experience, including historical, religious, political, sociological and legal perspectives.

Therefore, it is prudent to start by reducing the two critical words here i.e. Violent and Crimes to basic terms for easy understanding.

The Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines the word Violent in different ways. Firstly, as being the exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse. It is also defined as an outrage or intense turbulence or fury, which ends up in a destructive action. Finally, the act of being violent, is described as a vehement feeling of expression, marked by extreme force of intense activity.

Crime on the other hand is generally defined as any act or omission resulting from human conduct which is considered in itself or in its outcome to be harmful, and which the state wishes to prevent, which renders the person responsible liable to some kind of punishment as a result of proceedings which are usually initiated on behalf of the state and which are designed to ascertain the nature, extent and legal consequences of that person’s responsibility. See page 9 of L. B. Curzon’s Criminal Law, 3rd edition. C. O. Okowkwo and Naish in their book Criminal Law in Nigeria, also agree with this definition and add that the word Crime and Offence can be used interchangeably to mean the same bad or unacceptable conduct that would attract liability and or punishment to the person who is liable for it.

A crime is as old as the human being on earth. Animals who are also God’s creation do not commit crimes. It is the sense of reasoning which human beings have that distinguishes the human being from animals. Therefore, when that sense of reasoning is lost, the bestiality in the human being is ignited and he/she is likely to behave in a way and manner which is unexpected of a human being.

The main objectives of any criminal justice system, are the prevention and control of crime, the correction of offenders by implication, the protection and preservation of legitimate individual  liberty, rights and freedoms. See Criminal Justice System, Character, Patterns and Performance by Dr. Femi Odekunle in Law Development and Administration in Nigeria , page 92.

Crime as a malfeasance is another word for offence and are of many types and dimensions. There are crimes which otherwise are classified in the criminal code as simple offences, misdemeanours and felonies.

Within the class of simple offences are common assault, such as you would be liable if you merely touch someone else without that person’s consent; or not even touching, but does any act or movement, such as threatening to strike with a bare hand or flashing torchlight at another without such other’s consent, in a manner which causes that other person to have some apprehension of fear howsoever.

The law ascribes very little punishments for such common crimes or simple offences against persons who commit them, upon being convicted or found liable as the case may be. The punishment may be in the nature of a few weeks imprisonment as sentence or fines or both imprisonment and fine.

There are also those classified by law as misdemeanor. This class attracts imprisonment for not less than 6 months but less than 3 years. The highest grade of crime which are called felonies, are criminal acts which the law declares as being felonies and the commission of which are punishable without proof of previous conviction, by death or for 3 years imprisonment or more.

There are yet other classifications as non-capital and capital offences.

- Stealing and house breaking for instance are felonies but are non-capital offences.

- Violent crimes on the other hand belong to the classes of felonies and capital offences.

Violent Crimes in Nigeria include homicidal infractions, robbery, rape, grievous harm, kidnapping, abduction, forceful or unorthodox change of leadership otherwise called coup de tat or treason. They are mostly against persons, but they could also involve property and institutions like in arson and bunkering.

Violent crimes are mostly committed with arms such as guns, matchets daggers or such other dangerous weapons that would instill fear on the victims.

Sometimes too arms may not be involved, and the mere physical power of the perpetrator exerted against the victim and or the ability to instill fear on the other person, is enough accomplishment of violent crime. For instance, the gruesome murder of an expatriate wife of a Nigerian, Mrs. Ingrid Essien Obot, who was a lecturer at the University of Calabar , was alleged to have been by strangulation sometime in 1981, and hence might not have involved arms.

Bullying of the younger ones by elders, wife battering by their husbands and most rape cases too, are not necessarily accomplished by the use of arms. The critical nature of violence which accompanies the commission of any offence whether before or after the commission of such an offence, removes it from the ordinary class of that offence, to a special class of offence by such effect.

Two offences, stealing and robbery are good examples of the comparison.

Stealing of any property, does not involve any more complication than taking or converting the property which belongs to another person without the owner’s consent, or with the owner’s consent, if such consent is obtained by fraud or any misrepresentation, and with the intent of depriving that owner permanently of that property. For detailed definition and case law, see Section 383(1) and (2) as well as the case of ONWUDIWE v. F.R.N. (2006) All FWLR (Pt.319) Page 810 per Tobi JSC.

As it is, the offence of stealing can only be said to be committed if the taking of the thing capable of being stolen, is done fraudulently.

Robbery on the other hand, has been defined in section 401 of the Criminal Code as follows:

- Any person who steals anything, and at or immediately before or immediately after the time of stealing it, uses or threatens to use actual violence to any person or property in order to obtain or retain the thing stolen or to prevent or overcome resistance to its being stolen or retained, is said to be guilty of robbery.

Hence in FRANCIS ODILI v. THE STATE (1977) All NLR Page 51-52 the brief facts of a typical robbery was stated thus:

In the early hours of the October 26, 1973, at about 2.30 am, two Roman Catholic Reverend Sisters, namely Rev. Sister Mary Catherine and Rev. Sister Joseph Mary, who were living at the Catholic Mission Compound at Otuocha, Aguleri, heard a noise outside the window of their bedroom which they share in common. Rev. Sister Mary Catherine saw the flash of a light of a torch from the window and heard a voice announcing the presence of armed robbers and ordering the two Sisters to open the door of their house. Rev. Sister Mary Catherine replied that the door was open. Two men then entered the room of the Rev. Sisters bringing along with the two nights guards of the premises whose hands were bound behind their backs, and whom they pushed underneath the Rev. Sisters’ beds, where they apparently remained until the robbers completed their operation.

The robbers then threatened to kill the two Rev. Sisters in the same way that one Dr. Obinwa had been killed for a large sum of money and stated that they had been paid a large sum of money to kill the Rev. Sisters, and that unless the Rev. Sisters paid a large ransom, they too would be killed like Dr. Obinwa. The robbers gave them five minutes to say their last prayers and having done so, they raised their hands in surrender expecting to be shot. The robbers then demanded that the Rev. Sisters should pay a substantial amount to redeem their lives. The two Rev. Sisters then collected a total of N140.00 and handed this amount to the robbers who said it was not enough. They then offered the key of their car, two sewing machines and some items of clothing, which were refused.

The Rev. Sisters were then ordered by one of the robbers to lie down and he beat them up all over their bodies with a matchet inflicting several wounds on them. The other robber (the appellant) was armed with a gun and was busy searching their house for more money which he found and kept. When Rev. Sister Mary Catherine eventually attempted to escape, the appellant, armed with a gun, followed her into the bathroom and again threatened to shoot her. The appellant then dragged her back into the room.

An alarm clock in the room went off at 4.45 am and the robbers left the room with their loot, after warning the Rev. Sisters and the night guards who were still under the Rev. Sisters’ beds, not to make any noise. The Rev. Sisters nevertheless raised an alarm, other inmates of the house came on the scene and the night guards were set free. The Rev. Sisters were taken to hospital where they were treated for the severe matchet cuts and other injuries inflicted on them.

Hence, sometimes too, any otherwise ordinary robbery becomes armed robbery once the use of arms is involved. Their Lordships of the Supreme Court held in JOHN NWACHUKWU v. THE STATE 1986 All NLR Page 496 @497 ratio 1.that:

The only ingredient in the charge which promoted the offence from the one of robbery simpliciter under section 1(1) to aggravated robbery under Section 1(2)(a) was the interpretation given to the effect of the toy gun by the trial judge. This having been rejected, and correctly too, by the court of Appeal, the fact of taking away the bag of money with threat of violence which is sufficient for robbery under section 1(1) was established.

Observably, there are striking discernable unattractive negative attributes or values which are common to both words i.e. violent and crime, and which therefore gives cause for the consideration of the other arm of the topic – the way out.

Both words i.e. violence and crime, conjure injury, loss, pain and suffering, as opposed to profit or pleasure, which essentially is the object of every day engagements and one of the main purposes of the human being on earth.

Before looking at the way out however, it is pertinent to delve into some causes, examples and perhaps also the effects of violent crimes generally. The examples in this discourse are merely illustrative but not comprehensive.

It is worthy to note that, the consideration of the word crime by itself is enough to cause a person to develop goose pimples, then by imagination, the combination of the two words, violent crime, could cause many to faint even when not directly the victim. Briefly put, there can be nothing more deadly than violent crime. The characteristic of violent crimes is death.

It is also pertinent to note that beside murder, rape and treasonable felony as aforesaid, the civil war came with such other villainous acts as armed robbery. Not that there were no incidents of armed robbery before the war, but its frequency and intensity increased tremendously during and after the war, with the exposure of the people to more sophisticated weapons and the experience of devaluation of the human lives. Hence the enactment of the Armed Robbery and Fire Arms Decree which has since then continued to be amended to reflect the changing sophistry of the perpetrators and the society.

Presently, the intensity of violent acts which tend to undermine the sanctity of human lives are many and varied.
Thus for instance, such circumstances, as motorcyclists, tipper drivers, and other vehicular operators going on recklessly mindless suicide speed rides/driving in crowded areas, that end up murderously killing others, are clearly violent acts.

The terrorizing, rascally, vexatious abuse of other innocent members of the public, just to secure the right of way, are violent threats, which are rather novel and attests  to a clear index of a degenerating depraved society. Worst for the society, is the many incidents of daily unrestrained and often unprovoked violent infractions that sometimes come in official guises, and which subsequently snowball to the maiming and actual killing of other human beings.

The society appears to be rather permissive or casual about the early stages of violent infractions, hence their graduation to the rampant incidents of violent crimes. The media, particularly the television, that carry visuals, mostly from the Western world, Asia and the Middle East, impact in the minds of youths and criminal minded adults, who adopt those episodes they see as models.

The cases of cult activities in the general society at large. and in the educational institutions in particular, have gone a long way in facilitating the growth of violent crimes in Nigeria .  The use of narcotics and abuse of drugs, particularly by youths and criminal minded adults also help the perpetration of violent crimes not only in Nigeria but the world over.

Violence and insecurity in Nigeria have reached such heights that the Secretary General of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Mr. Samuel Salifu, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the religious riot in Bauchi State , proposed sending a bill to the National Assembly for a law permitting every adult Nigerian to carry arms for self protection.

What happened in Bauchi State , was a disagreement between Christians and Moslems over the right of use to parking space, which was alleged to belong to the neighouring Christian Church.

At the end of the ensuing riotous violence, not less than 19 churches and one Mosque were burnt, and many human beings were violently killed and lots of other property lost. Most unfortunately too, a good number of violent crimes are undetected.

Prominent personalities like Dele Giwa and Bola Ige and lately, Deacon Jeremiah Ettete Mfon, National President of Tipper Business Operators Association, as well as a promising young lawyer and PDP Chapter Chairman of Ikono Local Government Area, in Akwa Ibom State, Barrister Benjamin Udoekpo; a staff of the Akwa Ibom State Task Force of Environmental Laws was brutally killed during the Etuk Street Market melee at Uyo the Akwa Ibom State capital; a woman political activist in Akwa Ibom State Mrs. Maria Ikpe was also recently assassinated; a Divisional Police Officer in Ogun State, DSP Adesola Akiola, with other officers, were also violently killed by armed robbers are for instance, among the frightening long list of such incidents, been victims of violent deaths which have not been detected.

Eventhough the perpetrators of those violent crimes have been undetected, such crimes should not be wished away as though they do not matter. As Martin Luther King Jnr once said, everything that is done in the world is done by people. It does not mean that the killers are ghosts. They are people who live among us and they are going about life as if nothing has happened.

The reasons why violent crimes continue to thrive inspite of efforts made to check same are many.

• One of the reasons is injustice. And as Shehu Usman Dan Fodio once said, a Kingdom can endure with unbelief but cannot endure with injustice.

• Most violent crimes too, such as kidnapping and hostage taking, are politically motivated and for ransoms.

• Some times, these crimes are used by politicians against their rivals, who constitute threat to their selfish political ambitions.

• Some of the perpetrators of these crimes are those employed as thugs by politicians and later abandoned, and after which they resort to making use of the weapon which they were given bythe political godfathers, the gun etc.

• The inability of government to curb these crimes is to a large extent, because of the big brothers/godfathers who are behind the perpetrators.
• Perpetrators of most violent crimes, do not see themselves as criminals. They see themselves as evolutionists and as being indefatigable.

• When those crimes are directed at the state, they are used by aggrieved politicians as their own means of partaking in the sharing of the national cake e.g oil bunkering.

• There are also those, who because of their dislike for the government of the day, indulge in attacking public institutions or facilities to make things difficult for the government. Examples of these are many.

• At the socio-economic levels, competitors see the elimination of their rivals as a game or trade or indeed as the end that justifies the means.

Violent crimes are neither new nor peculiar to Nigeria . Historically, we learn that in the early times, life used to be short and brutish. But that with the advent of civilization, the sanctity of life started to be appreciated, hence laws, such as the Universal Declaration of Rights, were evolved to enable people go about their businesses without molestation.

And any molestation was visited with such appropriate sanction as would deter both the miscreants and others. But with more sophistication, and rather amazing though, it appears man is advancing (or regressing?) again to those years of shortish and brutish lives. Eddie Madunagu at page 11 of his book, Human Progress And Its Social Order in Nigeria, asserts that: there is nothing new under sun ….. the stage of human history is a repetition of an earlier stage, that every historical incident recalls an earlier one.

Within the Christian religion, there are numerous examples in the Holy Bible spanning from Genesis through the Book of Samuel, Kings and up to the New Testament.

·        The killing of Abel by his brother Cain is a clear example of unprovoked violent crimes;

·        The  sending of Uriah to the forefront of the war by David in order for Uriah to get killed so that he (David) would take over Uriah’s wife is today a very common incident;

·        Solomon’s plot to kill Jeroboam in order to take over his position is a replete everyday experience;

·        King Rehoboam’s causing of Adoram to be stoned to death by the Israelites was a violent crime;

·        Ahab’s killing of Naboth at the instigation of Jezebel to take over Naboth’s vineyard was a classical example of violent crime;

·        The most historical brutal and edifying example of violent crime had been the cruxification of Jesus Christ by those whom he came to save. The examples are many.

At the international level, are such incidents as the Locker bridge Bombing of London, the September 11 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York; the bombing of the British High

Commission in Kenya. There are prevalent violent crimes in Mexico , Kossovo , Somalia , Albania , Pakistan , Iran , Iraq , Afghanistan , the Balkans etc. Recently, the President of Guinea Bisau was assassinated in a violent bizarre manner. These further go to show, that violent crimes are everywhere and in many dimensions.

While socio-economic, environmental and political factors facilitate violent crimes, they are directly the end products of such elements as anger, frustration, envy, jealousy, hatred, cheating, disagreements, and most times taken as vengeance against the victims.

Where also issues or relationships are shrouded in secrecy, doubts, non-transparency, cleverness, treachery, circumventing the system, bending the rules etc, some violent reactions are imminent.

No violent crime arises from sincere amicable agreements, love and peace. Rather, violent crimes arise from hatred, cheating, disenchantment, misunderstanding etc. And the things that ignite or precipitate hatred, disagreement etc, include circumstances like circumventing the system, bending the rules and cleverness etc, or where conducts or relationships are shrouded in secrecy, doubts, non-transparency and deceit.

Another basic example of the cause of violent crimes is found in competition for resource control.

According to Okwudiba Nnoli in the 1978 edition of Ethnic Politics In Nigeria at page 74-75:

Resource competition implies that the disputed resources are scarce and their accessibility of man to manipulate scarcity by some mechanism. Thus, the same resources may be available in abundance for some, while it is scarce for, or altogether inaccessible to others, within the same society.

The inequitable allocation of resources in the society gives rise to intense competition. The more vital the resource over which there is competition, the more intense is the resultant insecurity which gives rise to violence.

The resultant struggle of individuals and groups not to be consigned to the bottom of the hierarchical ladder of inequality has anti social effects.

Competition rather than cooperation pre-dominates in human interaction and hostility is the dominant feature of such competition.

The net effect of the intense socio-economic competition arising from scarcity and inequality in colonial Nigeria (and worst in post colonial Nigeria ) has been the insecurity of the individual regarding its outcome.

It is worthy to note that sometimes too, the victims of violent crimes are the architect of their own misfortunes. That is, when they live provocative life styles, in such sense which John Mason, the great philosopher had cause to say, that it is when the fish opens its mouth that it gets caught. Thus for instance, in a French report:

LES MINI-JUPES  vs. LA  LOI  BRITANNIQUE

The Counsel for the Crown in the case of a gentleman who was accused of looking at the underwear of a young lady with a mini skirt while sitting opposite each other in a train, had argued that it was the duty of the gentleman in the position of that (highly placed) personality to close his eyes and keep them closed till he heard his destination announced. But the Judge in disagreeing with the Crown Counsel and acquitting the gentleman, ruled that to have expected or demanded of the gentleman to have so kept his eyes closed, would amount to an intolerable invasion of individual liberty, and that on the contrary, it was the duty of the young lady in the mini skirt, who entered the railway coach in such a mini skirt, to remain standing, till her journey terminated (See the Introductory page of A. P. Herbert’s - Uncommon Law).

The prevalence of violent crimes in any society bestializes that society and debases humanity i.e. it reduces the worth of such society to animal kingdom where reasoning is dictated by rash instincts.

The development level of any society which is preeminently bestial cannot enjoy any high rating.  A violent crime invested society will be practically unsafe to live in because investments and other engagements cannot be guaranteed.

It would appear that among other indices, the frequency of violent crimes in Nigeria , particularly with the critical element of the inability to detect most of them, is a factor that places Nigeria in the global low developmental ranking and human rights status which it presently stands.

THE WAY OUT

It has been seen that violent crimes are neither limited to Nigeria alone nor our present age. Violent Crimes are as old as the human society and are everywhere the world over.

Is it not surprising and embarrassing that such a highly placed personality like former Israeli minister is to be charged to court for rape?

Is it also not odd that a man in Austria could imprison his daughter in a cellar and incestuously rape her 3000 times for 24 years before the 7 children she fathered from her in the course thereof?

Therefore, it will be futile to talk of complete eradication of violent crimes. What needs to be addressed would rather be ways and means of reducing them and or minimizing their causes and effects.

Except in the circumstance and as may be beneficial to victims who had been lucky to survive the experience, as most victims of violent crimes, do not live to tell their stories, some pro-active measures are desirable.

Indeed, for those lucky ones, John Mason’s advice to them is that they should not be like the Steam Kettle, who though up to the neck in hot water, still continues to sing.

v    The most probable persons to actually be apprehensive about violent crimes and who seriously need advice, are particularly people in high places of privileges and who can be classified both as the potential culprits and victims.

v    For the potential victims, it is advised that although successes should be celebrated in relevant circumstances, pride, grandstanding and boastfulness on the other hand, should not be made a tradition, particularly in volatile communities like in most Nigerian settings.

v    Cheating, overreaching, oppressive conducts, taking advantage of the weakness of partners or associates, on the other hand should not be encouraged in any way. It is indeed better to cultivate a sincere, honest and responsible attitude in all we do or say and as a way of life.

v    Government at all levels should at all costs, reduce the number of idle minds in the society, by providing or facilitating employment or social security allowances.

v    Statistics  have  shown   that  a   good   number  of those who engage in violent crimes in Nigeria,   are not civil servants, journalists, lawyers, medical   practitioners, teachers, farmers etc., but mostly those who are either unemployed or have no hope of the means of survival.

v    Let it also not be, that the government is helpless about, or unable to reduce violent crimes in Nigeria . A design or system that guarantees increased socio-economic and political opportunities for all, will certainly increase security and greatly reduce crime. For instance, the government at all levels should invest more in sustainable youth development if the stability of the future is to be guaranteed.

v    As it stands, it is the legal obligation of the government to provide security. And violent crimes, particularly when they occur too frequently, and are most times undetected, would clearly appear to betray the government as having failed in its obligation to the people. Therefore, one sure way out, is for the government to accept the realities on ground and proceed from there, to work towards overhauling the system and machineries which now appear to expose the security impotency of the government. It is a question of the right leadership and the political will.

v    Violent crimes are directly revolts against the society, and constitute the perpetrators expression of disgust and indignation against the system. Where the leadership is people oriented and the confidence of the majority (not just a privileged few) is guaranteed in an inclusive accountable manner, the rebellious actions that come in the nature of violent crimes, will surely be minimized.

v    There is too much of tension and aggression in the Nigeria , arising mostly from inequality in the distribution of wealth, to the extent that some people have too much, while some do not have at all. The government at all levels, should evolve sustainable system of wealth redistribution, so that every body should have at least something to survive on.

v    Government has a great role in fashioning out security frame works for the generality of the populace. Security whether of food, shelter, water, police or other needs of life, should not be the exclusive preserve of a few privileged ones, who have these things in abundance at the expense of others who are forced or coerced to pay the taxes with which  the amenities are provided and maintained.

v    Governments at all levels and leadership generally, particularly in a democracy as we are now, should in no circumstance be detached from the people. Government and leadership generally, should be people centered by keeping its ears to the ground and listening to what people say, instead of dismissing contrary views as being anti-government.

v    Another observable position and as may guide in the sure way out, is as may appear that the government itself motivates violent crimes. As it presently stands, intimidating high handed policies and actions by government and or its agencies, such as instituting and mobilizing the Joint Task Force (JTF) with sophisticated weapons to tame the militancy and restiveness in the Niger Delta Region, should as much as possible be played down, because it appears that instead of achieve the desired goals, such policies or approach to security, rather incite criminal minded people who are engaged in the militancy, restiveness and sundry other illegal activities, to become more aggressive, toughened and violent.

v    In order to enjoy democratic dividends, the Nigerian leadership should believe less in the efficacy or power of the gun, by demilitarizing its problem solving approaches, mechanism and processes. That is to say, it is better to evolve pro-active civil, inclusive, popular and democratic policies/designs, say getting to the root cause of the militancy, restiveness etc, than the curative approach of suppressing them.

v    Machiavelli, an Italian political theorist of the 16th Century is the architect of modern day use of force to achieve ends. Machiavelli suggested treachery, murder and ruthless use of force to silence open opponents and hidden opposition. Let it not be, that the Machiavellian theory or prescription is still in practice in Nigeria.

v    The law enforcement approaches, processes, strategies and techniques, which involve the prevention and detection of crimes, as well as the prosecution of offenders, should be updated or modified to meet the challenges of sophistry and intelligence which modern day criminals in Nigeria use. Thus for example, when uniformed police, army, customs, immigration, navy etc uniforms or identities are known to be on some duty within the same neighbourhood which criminals may at the same time be having some successful operation, it would directly translate to the failure of such law enforcement approach or system that was adopted.

v    A fewer well trained and properly motivated intelligent officers, even without arms, would better save circumstances requiring intelligence, than a multitude of heavily armed officers, who may not know much more than shooting, and who may even shot their own feet in the course thereof, and thereby create more problems than would otherwise have been.

For instance, although, there is a legal provision in Nigeria under the Police Act, for people in charge of motor vehicles who fail to stop on the road when ordered to do so by a police officer in uniform, to be prosecuted and perhaps appropriately fined if convicted after trial, what appears to have informally replaced that law, is the shooting and most times killing, not just such persons who so fail to stop, but other innocent persons. Dele Udo, a top Nigerian athlete of international repute for example, was wasted in such approach. There are many uncountable examples.

v    Modern law enforcement, is more of intelligence than uniforms, guns and ammunition. Uniforms, arms and ammunition, are becoming so commonly abused these days in Nigeria by those who wear and carry them, to the extent that members of the public, sometimes have cause to distrust and doubt, whether some of the officers in uniforms or those who are seen with arms, truly belong to the law enforcement agencies or deserve both to wear the uniforms and or carry the arms.

v    Where the prevention aspect of crimes may have eluded them by some eventuality, law enforcement agencies should be more diligence in investigation and prosecution of offenders and avoid compromising with offenders and compounding the offences thereby.

v    Or when the law enforcement officials would rather abandon serious issues in preference to frivolities, or even take the laws they were expected to enforce into their hands, the people whom they purport to be serving, would naturally hate, rather than like or respect them.

v    For instance, where and when all that is required to successfully jump an otherwise orderly queue is the uniform, arms or both or abusively using the privileged position or status to bend the rules and cheat others, then those attributes become inspirational albatross for violence.

v    Such habits erode rather than promote the dignity of such officials or operatives and should hence be condemned and checked.

v    A reduction in the believe and reliance on uniforms, guns and ammunition for law enforcement and security purposes in Nigeria, will to a large extent also curb violent crimes. Statistics have shown that excessive policing is counter productive as most of the security approaches erode the rule of law and which most times trigger off violence.

v    Commercialization of politics and the politicizing of every facet of life should be discouraged. The reason is that these vices generate heat in the system and foster disagreements and misunderstanding which in turn precipitate and inflame an already turbulent situation that could lead to violent crimes.

v    Instructively, parents and leaders, whether in social, political or religious groups, should set proper ethical and moral standards in all they do. If they are transparently exemplary, disagreements, hatred, jealousy, envy and misunderstanding etc, which have been seen to be the raw materials of violent crimes, will be greatly minimized.

v    Also, tokenism in highly impoverished societies, are as dangerous as cheating; and both usually give rise to hatred, misunderstanding and jealousy. Therefore, incidents of corrupt motive Greek Gifts, which are not sincere and genuine, but made in the disguise of philanthropy, could rather generate such passions, that may lead to Violent Crimes.

v    Finally, people should have confidence in the law courts, or other arbitration institutions in having disputes settled for them.

v    Dialogue and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms have proved to be better and more harmonious veritable approach to settling conflicts and misunderstanding whether between individuals, institutions or governments, and should at all times be resorted to instead of such elements of arms, aggression, force, threats or militancy of any degree. It is improper and takes us too far back into the history of evolution, to take laws into our hands in settling scores with others when we are aggrieved.

v    Also, statistics have shown that the punitive psyche and experience of those who go into confinements, even of such temporary nature like the police detention before arraignment and trial, usually end up toughening such people and advance them more to become candidates for violent crimes.

v    Hence, sentencing and punishments of offenders upon conviction, as well as the prison conditions where both suspects who are awaiting trial and the convicted prisoners are remanded, should be more reformative than punitive.

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