Restitution Of Crime Victims In Nigeria: A Study Of Public Perceptions In Enugu State

Abstract

This paper is an extract from a study of public perceptions on restitution of crime victims in Nigeria with special reference to Enugu state. The study examined the sociological factors/variables that seem to influence public perceptions on restitution with respect to violent crimes such as armed robbery, rape, assault and murder. Two urban and four rural local governments in Enugu state were covered in the study. The questionnaire and focus group discussions constituted the major instruments for data collection. The results of the study have shown that majority of the respondents are in support of restitution of crime victims in Nigeria. The findings have also shown that the variables that influence the opinions of the public on the issue of restitution of crime victims in Nigeria include: age, education, public awareness and place of residence of respondents. A major sociological contribution of the study is the need to consider restitution as a conflict resolution mechanism in contemporary Nigeria.

JORIND Vol. 4 (2) 2006: pp. 98-105