Insecurity and the Coping Strategies of Residents in Benin Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines urban insecurity and the coping strategies of residents in the Benin metropolis. The main objective of the research is to determine insecurity challenges and coping strategies of residents in the Benin metropolitan area. The research adopted the survey method. A total of 384 copies of the questionnaire were administered to the residents in the study area. However, only 367 valid copies of the questionnaire were returned. The results of the analysis revealed that armed robbery was the most common crime incident in the study area with Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance value of 0.84 and a mean ranking of 1.16. The results further showed that Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area (LGA) had the highest proportion of armed robbery cases (33.66%), car snatching (34.69%), and rape (38.6%) with a total crime incident of 106.95% (n=138) while Egor LGA had the highest proportion of burglary cases (37.97%). The study further revealed that the perception of respondents to crime incidents was high with a mean value of 4.04. Majority of the respondents (with Kendall’s Coefficient Concordance value of 0.66 (66%) and a mean ranking of 1.56) were of the view that the government should empower local vigilantes to combat crime in the area. The paper concluded with the recommendation that police patrol of the various neighbourhoods in the study area should be intensified and there should be an efficient channel of information gathering with utmost confidentiality between the informants and the respective agencies that are responsible for combating crime.