A senior lecturer at the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, University of Ilorin, Dr. Monsurat Isiaka, has stated that the prevailing inclement economic situation in the country is responsible for the upsurge in the crime rate being recorded across the nation.
Speaking in Ilorin, Dr. Isiaka, who specializes in Criminal Justice System and Terrorism, explained that the need to make ends meet or live lavishly by individuals and groups, who are not gainfully employed or whose means of livelihood are being threatened by unbridled economic degradation, has led to increasing criminality across the country.
A former coordinator of the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, University of Ilorin, Dr. Isiaka, urged citizens to be careful in their dispositions to avoid falling prey to criminals who often disguise as helpers or comforters.
She particularly appealed to students of the university and other institutions of higher learning across the nation to be meticulous in displaying affluence within and outside the shores of their campus, as she explained that various campuses might have been infiltrated by criminals who are profiling likely targets.
The renowned criminologist insisted that students are admitted to learn and not to impress their colleagues with wealth. Therefore, she advised them to always be moderate in the quality of their dresses, ornaments, and phones they use to avoid attracting criminals who disguise as colleagues.
Dr. Isiaka also urged staff and students, particularly females, to avoid asking for free rides from anyone they do not know, stating that such individuals may be criminals searching for prey that may be used for rituals.
The don appealed to the federal government to swiftly address and arrest the nation’s dwindling economy, as she said that as long as the nation’s economy is in a comatose state, crimes and criminality would continue to be the order of the day.
She specifically insisted that urgent steps must be taken by the government and other employers of labor to ensure that the wages payable to workers reflect the current economic situation.
Speaking on campus safety, Dr. Isiaka explained that it has become important for the management of institutions of higher learning to tighten security within and around the campuses to ensure the safety of lives and property of staff and students.
She suggested that there should be restrictions on the number of commercial vehicles allowed to operate on the various campuses, and such vehicles must be properly labeled for ease of identification by the authorities and passengers.
Dr. Isiaka also said that it has become important for the management of all those institutions to install security gadgets on their campuses and work with the police and other security agencies, pointing out that criminals are not likely to operate where they are aware that they are being monitored.
She added that the wearing of identification cards by students and staff of institutions of higher learning within and outside their campuses should be made compulsory, and they should all be armed with contacts that can be called upon whenever they sense danger.
Dr. Isiaka insisted that security is everyone’s business, and everyone must take their security seriously, stating that if that happens, the entire nation would be secure.