By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
Dr Monsurat Isiaka, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, University of Ilorin, has attributed the upsurge in crime to the prevailing biting economy in the country.
Isiaka, who made the submission on Monday during an interview with newsmen in Ilorin, explained that there is growing need to make ends meet or live big by mindless individuals and groups in the country.
According to her, these people may not be gainfully employed or whose means of livelihood are being threatened by unbridled economic degradation have led to increasing criminality across the country.
The expert urged citizens to be careful in their dispositions in order not to fall prey to criminals who often disguise as helpers or comforters.
She particularly appealed to students of the university and other institutions of higher learning across the nation to be meticulous in the display of affluence within and outside the shores of their campuses.
She explained that the various campuses might have been infiltrated by criminals who are profiling likely targets.
The Criminologist insisted that students are admitted to learn and not to impress their colleagues with wealth and therefore advised them to always be moderate in the quality of their dresses, ornaments and telephones they use so as not to attract criminals who disguise as colleagues.
She also urged staff and students, particularly female ones, to avoid asking for free ride from anyone they do not know, saying that such individuals may be criminals who are in search of prey that may be used for rituals.
The don appealed to the Federal Government to swiftly address and arrest the nation’s dwindling economy as she said that for as long as the nation’s economy is in comatose, crimes and criminality would continue to be the order of the day.
Isiaka specifically insisted that something urgent must be done by the government and other employers of labour to ensure that the wages payable to workers are reflective of the current economic situations.
Speaking on campus safety, the expert explained that it has become important for management of institutions of higher learning to tighten security within and around the campuses to ensure the safety of lives and property of staff and students.
She suggested that there should be restrictions on the number of commercial vehicles allowed to operate on the various campuses and that such vehicles must be properly labelled for ease of identification by the authorities and passengers.
“It has become important for the management of all those institutions to install security gadgets on their campuses and work with the Police and other security agencies.
“Criminals are not likely to operate where they are aware that they are being monitored,” she said.
She advised that wearing of identification cards by students and staff of institutions of higher learning within and outside their campuses should be made compulsory.
The don also advised that students should all be armed with the contacts of those that can be called upon whenever they sense danger.
Isiaka insisted that security is the business of everyone and that everybody must take his or her security very important, saying that if that happens the entire nation will be secured. (NAN)
