Oyenuga tasks government on sincerity in combating crime

A visiting scholar at the Department of Criminology and Security Studies, University of Ilorin, Dr Adedeji Saheed Oyenuga, has urged the Nigerian government to walk the talk of combating crimes and criminality by making use of the human and abundant material resources in the country.

Dr Oyenuga, who is an Associate Professor at the Lagos State University, Ojo, said this last Monday (February 19, 2024) while interacting with UNILORIN BULLETIN in  his office.

The don observed that the government has the data of citizens and residents of Nigeria housed in different governmental institutions, but oftentimes, such data are not made available to law enforcement agencies that need them to resolve crimes swiftly.

Dr Oyenuga, who is a distinguished Fellow of Criminology and Strategic Studies, noted that swift resolution of crimes has a lot of positive multiplier effects on a nation because it boosts investor confidence, attracts Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and catalyse the country towards economic growth, which ultimately reduces criminal tendencies among the populace.

He added that giving each crime its deserved attention will accelerate the transition of Nigeria from a developing country to a developed one.

Dr Oyenuga, who is also the founder of ‘DigOut Consult’, a registered Private Investigation Firm, noted that crime prevention is cheaper than resolving crime.

He also noted that every community has its social deviants as he observed further that young people needed to be engaged always so that they do not tend towards crimes and criminality.

Dr Oyenuga urged parents to win the confidence of their children in order to be able to positively influence them. He also counseled adolescents on life after high school and in institutions of higher learning so that they would turn out to be responsible citizens as they desire.