EFFECTIVENESS OF AMNESTY PROGRAMME TO CRIME REDUCTION IN BENUE STATE, NORTH-CENTRAL, NIGERIA

Abstract

Benue State North Central Nigeria is being faced with different dimensions of crimes which are taking sophisticated forms day-by-day and one of the measures taken to either prevent or reduce crimes by the Ortom administration in 2015 was the Amnesty Programme granted to criminals and those in possession of illegal arms. At the moment, the persistent state of insecurity in some parts of Benue and the rise in armed violent crimes due to the possession/proliferation of light and small arms by some youths and the need for peace is generating the clamour for amnesty across some stakeholders. This paper which is anchored on the control theory of crime therefore appraises pre and post amnesty programme in Benue State North Central Nigeria with the purpose of finding out the relationship between the programme and crime reduction in the State. The study adopted a descriptive survey using primary data from KII with security experts, traditional and religious leaders, government officials, women and youths as participants and complemented with secondary data from Benue State Police Command. Data was analysed with the aid of SPSS software version 21 which percentages, mean, variance and standard deviation were computed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation to test the hypothesis in order to determine the relationship between variables (Amnesty and Crime Reduction). The study found that the amnesty program was poorly executed proving that the relationship between amnesty and crime reduction in Benue State, Nigeria was negative as the programme has not significantly reduced crimes in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. It further revealed that despite the amnesty program, highly committed crimes that featured prominently in the State during the study period as theft and other stealing, grievous hurt/wound, assault/ criminal force, mischief by fire, unlawful possession, burglary/ criminal trespass and armed robbery. The findings recommended that the amnesty programme be re-visited with more sincerity anchored on sound  reformative/rehabilitative initiatives, proper training of youths in skills and sound technical/ science-based education, job creation, poverty reduction measures and zero tolerance to thuggery by all political elites/politicians among others to reduce crime wave in the State.