INDIGENOUS METHODS OF CRIME CONTROL: A PANACEA FOR SOCIAL ORDER IN BEKWARRA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

This study Examined Indigenous Methods of Crime Control in Bekwarra Local GovernmentArea of Cross River State. Crime is a social problem that has directly contributed to theeconomic set-back of many nations including Nigeria, which directly reduces the quality oflife of individual and communities. It is a phenomenon that bedeviling the nation and thesteps taken by government it seems to be inadequate as Crime continues to spread like fire indry season. Existing studies on Crime and its control have focused on the use of modernmethods which are at variance with culture of the various societies, while little attention ispaid to Crime Control mechanisms of Indigenous Methods of Crime Control in Bekwarranation. The inability of government to adequately tackle the menace of crime has led to fearsamong the people as security of lives and property is perpetually threatened. This hasimpacted negatively on the country that is striving to be among developed nations in theWorld. This study aims at as to x- ray the traditional methods of crime control in Bekwarra.The paper examined how Crime and criminal related activities were addressed in the pastwith a view that if these methods can be applied in recent time to arrest the rise in crime, thismay reduce crime in present Nigeria since the modern or western methods have not dealt with significantly. Methodology used in the paper was a qualitative research method (FGD,IDI and Ki). To explain the phenomenon of crime, Anomic theory was adopted. The findingsshowed that there is significant relationship between modern methods of crime control andIndigenous Methods of Crime Control. Despite the sophistication weapons used by thesecurity agents has no significantly reduce or address the crime rate. The studyrecommended among others, the use of Indigenous Methods of Crime Control mechanismswith modern methods side by side to complement the efforts to fight crime in Nigeria in orderto pave way for good governance and social order in the society.