CRIME, UNEMPLOYMENT, CORRUPTION AND OSTENTATIOUS LIFESTYLE OF PUBLIC OFFICEHOLDERS IN NIGERIA

In recent times in Nigeria, there has been upsurge in the rate of crime. These crimes are not limited to economic crimes like armed robbery, oil bunkering, internet fraud or kidnapping but include the act of taking up arms against the country as witnessed in the activities of Niger Delta militants, O'odua Peoples' Congress etc. The most recent and deadliest of these groups is the Boko Haram Islamist group in northern Nigeria which has declared total war against the nation. This group within the last three years in Nigeria has killed not less than 5000 people including some foreigners. Currently they are holding captive about 250 female students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State. These they kidnapped while they were seating for Senior Secondary Certificate exams. The activities of Boko Haram and other miscreant groups in the country have created a serious state of insecurity in Nigeria and are making governance process difficult for both states and federal governments. This ugly situation is generating a lot of concern both within and outside the country on how best to tackle and end insurgency in the country. The consensus opinion is that the high level of unemployment especially among the youth population in the country is responsible for these crimes. This paper adopted document analysis method to critically unearth the factors responsible for these crimes. It took other factors like corruption and public flaunting of the gains thereof by public officers into consideration. Its contention is that providing jobs for Nigerians is a right step in the right direction but more importantly government must fight corruption especially among those who have found themselves in the privileged position of managing the country's resources if it is to stave-off the revolutionary tension that is gradually building up against the entire system.