In today’s Nigeria, survival has become a daily battle. Crime the order of the day! The country, once hailed as the “giant of Africa,” is now struggling under the weight of economic hardship that cuts across every sector. Inflation has soared to record levels, food prices rise by the week, unemployment rates continue to climb, and the naira’s value keeps plunging against the dollar. For many Nigerians, life is no longer about living, it is about merely staying alive.
This economic reality has fueled a surge in crime. From “one chance” operators lurking in city buses to petty thieves prowling neighborhoods and the unending wave of kidnappings for ransom, crime has become both a threat to public safety and a reflection of societal collapse.
The Economics of Desperation (Crime)
The National Bureau of Statistics reports that over 133 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty. Millions are unemployed, and those with jobs earn wages that barely cover transportation, let alone food and rent. In the face of such deprivation, crime has become an economic alternative for some.
Petty thieves roam the streets, not necessarily out of greed, but because hunger gnaws at their stomachs. Young men and women are lured into “one chance” operations; a form of robbery disguised as commercial transport, to make quick cash from unsuspecting commuters. Kidnapping, once a fringe criminal activity, has grown into an industry, feeding off the desperation of both perpetrators and victims’ families.
Fear of Jungle Justice
Ironically, the greatest fear for many of these criminals is not the police, but ordinary citizens. Jungle justice, mob beatings, lynchings, and tire burnings has become a brutal but common response to theft. In neighborhoods where trust in law enforcement is low, people often take the law into their own hands.
As disturbing as it sounds, some criminals confess that they would rather be caught by the police than by the public. A thief in prison gets a roof over his head, food at least once a day, and some form of order. In contrast, the jungle justice of the streets offers no second chance.
Prison as Shelter
In a country where homelessness is rising and many cannot afford three square meals, Nigeria’s overcrowded prisons paradoxically provide relief for some. Behind bars, inmates at least have guaranteed shelter and food, luxuries that millions outside the prison walls cannot consistently afford. This twisted reality has made prison less of a punishment and, for some, a form of refuge.
A Nation at a Crossroads
The question remains: how did Nigeria get here?
Corruption, mismanagement, and a heavy dependence on oil revenues without meaningful diversification have left the economy fragile. The removal of fuel subsidies, soaring cost of living, and weak safety nets have deepened poverty. In this climate, crime becomes less about choice and more about survival.
Unless Nigeria tackles the root causes, unemployment, inequality, lack of social security, and weak governance; the streets will continue to be a battleground of fear and desperation.
Conclusion
Nigeria’s rising crime wave is not just a matter of security; it is an economic and social crisis. The thief who snatches a phone on the street is often as much a victim of the system as the person who loses their belongings. The tragedy is not only in the crimes committed, but in the fact that prisons, rather than being centers of reform, have become substitutes for social welfare.
Until policies shift from punishment to prevention, ensuring that Nigerians can eat, work, and live with dignity; the cycle of crime, jungle justice, and prison as shelter will remain the order of the day. We hope things get better in Nigeria.
