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Public perseption of the services of vigilante groups in Anambra State


Chike Abden Onwuegbusi

Abstract

So much has always been said about the activities of the vigilante groups in Anambra State. The objective of this study therefore was to investigate the perception of the citizens of the State with regards to the activities of the vigilante groups in the State. The crosssectional survey design was employed for the study. 540 adults aged 18 years and above were selected for the study using the multi-stage sampling technique. The structured questionnaire was used to collect the quantitative data while Focused Group Discussion (FGD) and In-depth Interview guides were used to collect the qualitative data. The quantitative data were sorted, coded and analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Univeriate and bivariate statistics were used to describe and interpret the quantitative data; while the qualitative data were analyzed using the theme-based method of content analysis. The study revealed that in spite of a number of shortcomings and limitations of the vigilante members, the citizens of the State are still very supportive to them for the services they render to ensure a crime free society. It was equally revealed that the efforts of the groups contribute towards a reasonable control of crime in the State. The study recommends among other things, consistent and regular training of the vigilante members in the State.

Keywords: Crime Control, Public Perception, Social Conditions, Social Services, Vigilante groups


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print ISSN: 2006-5442