UI professor identifies cause of prevailing insecurity

A Criminologist, Professor Adeyinka Aderinto, has identified sheer negligence of social roles by youths as a major cause of ravaging insecurity.

Aderinto said Nigeria’s youths have been left on the fringes by those who should nurture and cater for them, and are now fighting back.

Professor Aderinto who is a former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), University of Ibadan, and Head of Department of Sociology, stated this while delivering the 482nd inaugural lecture of the university titled “On the Fringe of the Society”

According to Aderinto, the sufferings of young people have become compounded by widespread poverty, unemployment and economic problems which continue to characterize the Nigerian State.

To the Criminologist, setting up many security outfits without alleviating poverty and tackling unemployment will yield no sustainable result.

He advised government at all levels to reduce the overwhelming emphasis on wealth as a symbol of success in Nigeria, as this has caused many youths to take to crime and criminality.

He said, “Efforts should be made by federal and state governments to reduce the overwhelming emphasis on wealth as a symbol of success in our country. Many of our youths now associate success with owning of several houses and cars, making them unable to come to terms with leaving a less-glamorous life. The rapid socialisation and nurturance functions which the family and school are supposed to perform are becoming difficult.”