Influence of Covid-19 Lockdown on Crime in Idah, Idah Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the influence of Covid-19 lockdown on crime in Idah, Idah local government area, Kogi State, Nigeria. Specifically; the study investigated the types of crime that were prevalent during covid-19 lockdown in Idah, the determinant of crime in Idah during covid-19 lockdown, the influence of covid-19 lockdown on crime rate in Idah, and the effects of such crime on residents of Idah during Covid-19 lockdown. The study relied principally on primary method of data collection using questionnaire and interview guide; the sample size for this study was 383 respondents, Routine Activity and Anomie Theory was adapted as theoretical framework for the study. The finding in this study shows that 88.9% of the total respondents agreed that burglary of commercial areas increase during the covid-19 lockdown. The study also found that 81.3% of the total respondents agreed that economic hardship/poverty were major determinant of crime during covid-19 lockdown in Idah. Why 54.2% of the total respondents agreed that Covid-19 lockdown era had significantly influenced rise in crime rate. Although, 93% of the total respondents agreed that increase in poverty was the effects of crime during covid-19 lockdown. Based on these findings, the study recommends: that security personnel in Idah, need to strengthen their strategies to clamp down rates of crime occurrence during any emergency like covid-19 lockdown. There is need for Nigeria government to provide sufficient palliative with widely and fairly distribution to cushion the effect of any likely pandemic lockdown, as this will help in reducing the level at which economic hardship/ poverty resulting from lockdown could push some individual into crime.