The Impact Of Poverty On The Crime Rate In Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The paper examines the impact of poverty on crime rate in Nigeria. The major objectives of the paper are focused on the major causes of poverty in Nigeria; identify the level of crime in Nigeria and to examine the influence of poverty on crime rate in Nigeria. The paper adopts the relative theory to explain how people take action to acquire opportunities and wealth that others possesses and which they believe to also have equal opportunity to acquire. The paper was based on secondary sources of data. The findings of the study revealed that the major cause of poverty in Nigeria is corruption from government officials in form of diversion of funds meant for development, lack of economic activities and illiteracy. The study also discovered that most of the criminal activities are perpetrated as a result of poor economic conditions especially among the low income populace. The paper concluded that poverty is the major cause of high crime rate in Nigeria. The paper recommends among others that Nigerian political leaders who are entrusted with the wealth of the nation should be transparent to ensure that social amenities are provided to the rural people to boost economic activities.  More efforts should be made to ensure that most of the rural populace has an education and micro credit schemes should be strengthened to reach the real poor populace in order boost small scale businesses in Nigeria