Bank robbery has been a major source of social concern in Nigeria for more than a decade. It has gone from the reported fifteen Lagos banks that were robbed in the year 2000 to a national problem. Despite government attempts to stem the tide, available statistics show the problem to be on the rise instead of abating. The siege imposed on the society by these daring and senseless robbers and the general sense of insecurity prevailing in the country serve as the rationale for this discourse.

Bank robbery falls within the remit of crime, albeit a violent one. It is a form of robbery that has as its main victims, premises where raw cash remains the major instrument of interaction. As understood in Nigeria, it is armed robbery with banks as its victims. Perhaps this discourse will serve a good purpose by analysing the causative factors of crime and hence armed robbery and looking at the effectiveness of currently prescribed methods of curtailment. The aim is to show the futility of deterrence as a social prevention and to highlight the need to tackle the myriad social problems that continue to breed crime and criminals in our society.

Efforts to control abnormal social behaviour, including crime have historical antecedents and date back to the ancient Babylon’s Code of Hammurabi about 4000 years ago. A connection was established between crime and sin by settlers in North America in the seventeenth century. It was then believed that evil spirits possessed those who did not conform to the social norms or follow societal rules. This is a belief that may still have followers in Nigeria of today. However, by the dawn of the twenty-first century, a combination of biological, psychological, social and economic factors have been identified as the factors responsible for crime. These factors remain true in the Nigerian scenario and a typical criminal usually combines two or more of these factors. For simplicity, the aetiological factors could also be broken down into three main categories – economic factors/poverty, social environment and family structures.

Economic factors encompass the theory of wants or deprivation. Poverty is not only the lack of financial resources, but also manifests as lack of educational opportunities, lack of meaningful employment options, poor housing, lack of hope and prejudice against persons living in poverty. In the Nigerian situation, economic factors remain very relevant in the social analysis of crime. They are pervading problems that have not been seriously tackled in our Neolithic system of governance and priority scale.

In a country with teeming millions of illiterates and unemployed, the social catalyst for violent robbery needs no other ammunition. These economic factors conveniently link up with significant factors in the social environment. Normally, the social factors mirror to people communal (or societal) set of values and priorities. Identified social root causes of crime include inequality, lack of equalitarian power sharing arrangement, lack of support to families and neighbourhoods, inaccessibility to social services, lack of communal leadership, low value placed on children and individual well-being and the over-exposure to modern means of recreation and communication (for example, television and internet) with their corrupting influences. The relevance of family in the causation of crime relates to its unique role in helping to raise healthy and responsible members of the society – the children. Dysfunctional family conditions contribute to future delinquency. Thus family factors include parental inadequacy, parental conflict, parental criminality, lack of adequate family communication, abuse and neglect of children and family violence.

Parental criminality provided a very interesting area of social research in the eighties.

While searching for the origins of antisocial personality disorders and their influence over crime, adopted children and twins were studied. It was found that identical twins with similar genetic make-up were twice as likely to have similar criminal behaviour as fraternal twins who do not share similar genetic identity. It was also found that adopted children had greater similarity of crime rates to their adoptive parents. All these suggest a genetic basis for some criminal behaviour.

Crime prevention must focus on improvements in all three areas (economic, social and family factors). Analysis of the situation in Nigeria showed that prevention so far has failed to tackle the analysed root causes of crime but rather rests solely on punishment as a form of deterrence. The theory of deterrence is based on the idea that the threat of punishment must be severe enough to counter the benefits or pleasures that the criminal would receive from the crime. Also, the punishment must be administered swiftly so that potential criminals will see a clear cause and effect relationship between the crime and the punishment. When punishment deters potential criminals from committing crimes, it is called “general deterrence.” There is another kind of deterrence called “specific deterrence.” This refers to the inability of convicted criminals to commit further crimes as a result of their punishment. There is no doubt that capital punishment serves as a specific deterrent: the executed criminal will never kill again. However, experts and lay men have long debated whether capital punishment is actually an effective solution. This poser remains very relevant in the Nigerian context.

So many decades of public executions of armed robbers have failed to stem the tide of this malignant and endemic social malaise. Even choosing the option of executing robbers in their local government areas, as obtained in some states, has not shown a remarkable deterrent force. The weakened argument for capital punishment led to the reformation of the death penalty in Europe and Latin America. Venezuela in1853 and Portugal (1867) were the first nations to abolish death penalties. Britain abolished death penalties in 1965. The United States remains the only Western country yet to abolish the death penalty. The futility of the death penalty was not totally lost in Nigeria as a debate on it was started some years back. This was during the tenure of Akin Olujimi as Justice Minister.

Ultimately, the solution to the menace of armed robbery lies in addressing the identified root causes. This entails the provision of good government, mass employment, adequate housing for all, enhanced social structures and facilities in the context of a strengthened and functional family system that emphasises the importance of proper child rearing. The solution also requires a re-defined sense of social priorities, something akin to a form of national re-orientation. Our youths need to learn not to worship money at all costs. As a people, we need to learn to develop contempt for unexplained wealth. We need to tackle the hydra-headed problem of corruption in our body polity. We need to sanitise our system of governance such that elected leaders would truly see themselves as servants of the people and not abuse their positions to accumulate wealth, as currently obtains in most state assemblies and the national assembly. Governments (at both federal and state levels) need to commit to the creation of jobs for the suffering citizens.

This is a sensitive time in the history of Nigeria to raise awareness on a solution that has failed to yield a positive response. Perhaps if we remove sentiments and sit down as a people, we might be able to see the merits of this discourse. The suggestion is not one of not prescribing punishment for offenders, but rather a call to address root causes and seek a solution to a problem that has failed to cease. No matter the punishment, solution can only be found when the root causes are addressed. It is high time the issues of social deprivations and political instability were addressed. The benefits of good governance benefit the populace in various ways, both subtle and tangible.

oluseguncs@yahoo.co.uk

Robot  # 1 | 17.05.2008 17:14

Bank robbery has been a major source of social concern in Nigeria for more than a decade. It h...Read the full article.

WaleAkin  # 2 | 17.05.2008 18:55

Mr Fakoya, Many thanks for this timely article. Armed bank robberies are common occurences anywhere in the world but they can be controlled and these control measures are common sense approach when they are executed rightly. Fistly, lets start with Bullion vans cash transits, pick ups and deliveries:I am so appalled when i see HILUX Pick Up vans used in cash transit with Peugeot 504 estate as pilot and back up with armed police men in reckless breakneck speedy in our major capital cities.These vehicles have no security measures, security is only based on the officers sometimes armed with CS gas shot guns and AK47 dangling dangerous(Recall that a Youth Corper was killed in 2001 when the gun of one of the security officers of Former Deputy Governor Kofo Bucknor went off as they sped past in a convoy at Antony Bus Stop). There are no PLAN B routes: They prefer the usual fast routes and thats the reason when they are held in traffic jams, they resort to violent whipping of other road users and the use of the Bull bar on the grill to push cars aside to make their get-away. Secondly, there are too many bank branches littering the country space(This is good though) but security should be topmost to avoid these killings and carting away of millions of Naira daily. I'd suggest that we begin the use of armoured vehicles with time locks for cash transits. These vehicles should be fitted with loud mechanical snoopers (Even when they are stolen)as a temp measure till GPS start to work efficiently in Nigeria. Route gauges should also be fitted: Say, Cash transit from Zenith Bank(Ozumba Mbadiwe) to CBN (Tinubu Square) is a 5-Kilometre drive and it's calculated to be done in 10 minutes, the route gauge connected to the vehicle's auto-mechanism should trip off after another 10 minutes grace period(The farthest the vehicle would had gone will be Apongbon) I dont know if cashiers' cubicles in Nigerian banks are shatterproof: If they arent, why not lets invest heavily in this measure? Closed circuits TVs should be in every nook and cranny of the banking perimeter Nigeria is gradually becoming a cashless country: I'd also suggest that we encourage ourselves to do less with cash carrying. The other day, the whole salary of Primary school teachers in Benin was stolen as the Accountant-General went to bank to collect the bags! I know that alot of businesses in Nigeria now pay staff salaries by BACS transfers: I'd suggest that we spread this measure across board.

salstep  # 3 | 18.05.2008 02:21

=WaleAkin;4295018963>Mr Fakoya, Many thanks for this timely article. Armed bank robberies are common occurences anywhere in the world but they can be controlled and these control measures are common sense approach when they are executed rightly. Fistly, lets start with Bullion vans cash transits, pick ups and deliveries:I am so appalled when i see HILUX Pick Up vans used in cash transit with Peugeot 504 estate as pilot and back up with armed police men in reckless breakneck speedy in our major capital cities.These vehicles have no security measures, security is only based on the officers sometimes armed with CS gas shot guns and AK47 dangling dangerous(Recall that a Youth Corper was killed in 2001 when the gun of one of the security officers of Former Deputy Governor Kofo Bucknor went off as they sped past in a convoy at Antony Bus Stop). There are no PLAN B routes: They prefer the usual fast routes and thats the reason when they are held in traffic jams, they resort to violent whipping of other road users and the use of the Bull bar on the grill to push cars aside to make their get-away. Secondly, there are too many bank branches littering the country space(This is good though) but security should be topmost to avoid these killings and carting away of millions of Naira daily. I'd suggest that we begin the use of armoured vehicles with time locks for cash transits. These vehicles should be fitted with loud mechanical snoopers (Even when they are stolen)as a temp measure till GPS start to work efficiently in Nigeria. Route gauges should also be fitted: Say, Cash transit from Zenith Bank(Ozumba Mbadiwe) to CBN (Tinubu Square) is a 5-Kilometre drive and it's calculated to be done in 10 minutes, the route gauge connected to the vehicle's auto-mechanism should trip off after another 10 minutes grace period(The farthest the vehicle would had gone will be Apongbon) I dont know if cashiers' cubicles in Nigerian banks are shatterproof: If they arent, why not lets invest heavily in this measure? Closed circuits TVs should be in every nook and cranny of the banking perimeter Nigeria is gradually becoming a cashless country: I'd also suggest that we encourage ourselves to do less with cash carrying. The other day, the whole salary of Primary school teachers in Benin was stolen as the Accountant-General went to bank to collect the bags! I know that alot of businesses in Nigeria now pay staff salaries by BACS transfers: I'd suggest that we spread this measure across board. If you go to your home country often enough, you would have noticed the measures you are suggesting are already in place. Armed bank robberies will continue to be the norm until these people are offered alternatives. A large chunk of the population still live in poverty and Unemployment is still very high.

Abraxas  # 4 | 18.05.2008 02:44

Hi, folks! Every society has its fair share of hoodlums, criminals, and baddies! The frequency and magnitude of criminal episodes in any given society is a function of the effectiveness and efficiency of the agencies of government charged with the responsibility of maintaining and enforcing law and order. The truth is that Nigeria's security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Police Force, are massively dysfunctional, inept, and incapacitated, as far as the effective enforcement of law and order is concerned. The only way to address the frightening scenario of apparent lawlessness in Nigeria is to take a closer look at the law enforcement agencies, and work out ways of enhancing their efficiency. Whether it is armed robbery, or hostage taking, or kidnapping, or cyber-crime (alias "Yahoo-yahoo!"), or "cultism", it is still the same problem: the police is severely deficient (in terms of their training, equipment, morale, or attitudinal posture) to handle such cases to the satisfaction of their customers, the general Nigerian public. Muchas gracias. Don Juan-Carlos ABRAXAS (III)

denker  # 5 | 18.05.2008 13:16

Hi Folks: ..a near perfect crime free clime is possible -dis is accomplish-able and executable if my blueprint can be established, implemented and enforced -the blueprint is so structured, engineered and chronologically sequenced to start positively delivering results within a time interval b/w 2 and 3 years...unfortunately it is not for Nigeria of present Time-Era with rogues, thieves, unserious minds and diabolical minded creatures as ruling class!:evil: unedited!

WaleAkin  # 6 | 18.05.2008 14:36

=Salstep>If you go to your home country often enough, you would have noticed the measures you are suggesting are already in place. It will be a wasted effort to prove to you that i go to Nigeria often! No need! I'd want you to butress the security measures put in place by these banks in guarding against the constant armed robbery attacks. =Salstep>Armed bank robberies will continue to be the norm until these people are offered alternatives. A large chunk of the population still live in poverty and Unemployment is still very high. Bullseye! Valid point you have up there.

salstep  # 7 | 18.05.2008 15:58

=WaleAkin;4295019125>It will be a wasted effort to prove to you that i go to Nigeria often! No need! I'd want you to butress the security measures put in place by these banks in guarding against the constant armed robbery attacks. Bullseye! Valid point you have up there. Bullion vans Armed security opertives Metal detector entrances Body search devices No mobiles in banks Gated environment CCTV The thing is any determine robber will still attempt to rob regardless.

WaleAkin  # 8 | 18.05.2008 16:21

=Salstep>Bullion vans Salstep, do you know that you are such a funny bloke? I wrote in my initial post that what we need is not a HILUX Bullion van but an armoured cash transit carrier- Armoured in this context simply means that such vehicles have the tendency to withstand bombs/bullets etal as the body panel, under-carriage cover, bonnet and roof are fortified but you came back quick to counter my suggestion that we already have such in Nigeria. Now, are these bullion vans armoured cash transit carriers pls? =Salstep>Armed security opertives Who are the operatives? NPF officers brandishing AK47 with twine ropes? If we have these suggested armoured vehicles, the security guys will do less or no job at all. =Salstep>Metal detector entrances Good one there but these measures have been in place long before now. I recall that the First Bank(Stock Exchange Branch, Tinubu Sq.) have a metal detector way back in the mid 90s =Salstep>Body search devices No mobiles in banks CCTV Good measures but armed robbers need no cell phones at all: Robbery is about tactical speed and deadly accuracy. =Salstep>Gated environment Capital NO: I can count several bank branches in Lagos with no gated entrance. =Salstep>The thing is any determine robber will still attempt to rob regardless. Another valid point!!! Now, can we broaden this discourse by thinking in this direction that maybe we have accomplices in these banks who give relevant and detailed info to these armed robbers? It could be the bullion van drivers, security officers, or even bank staff!!

Ranter  # 9 | 19.05.2008 05:29

Nigerian state as it is today can not be effectively policed.All the fundamentals for a sustainable governance are non existent. The police are inefficient as it is a tool of an inefficient state. Armed robbery or bank robbery as well as no healthcare, roads, power,jobs,pipe borne water,drainages,sewage disposal and all the other essentials of a working society does not exist because the government and the governed are very far apart. As for bandits robbing banks,the police can do nothing because these criminals are faceless. Think about where all of us on these forums are all anonymous, how can the moderators keep tabs on the trouble makers or somebody having a bad day. The british,the past and the current governments have all failed the Nigerian state.You remember the case of that Foreign journalist that acquired a Nigerian passport a few hours after landing in Nigeria. We would have to take several steps backwards and do some basic things that would enable the state work, like having the data of everyone taken and issuing everyone with ID cards,the police can then have some database of fingerprints, DNA, Mug shots of criminals, so that when they get to a crime scene,at least they can do some investigation which might help them fight future crimes. Its a crime in many third world countries to leave your house without your identity card.You practically can not do anything without it. The police could do with a bit of re training but we got to do a thorough ground work before they can be effective.

denker  # 10 | 19.05.2008 07:26

Ranter, you scratched more or less on the surface, but, still touched on certain substantial elements of truth..quite original and more creative than preceding commentators (denker excepted!) that simply dwelled on cosmetic, palliative amelioration and copycat mentality without much creative refocusing and reorientation....simply not original!

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