CULT-RELATED CRIMES AND WELL-BEING OF RURAL DWELLERS IN SOUTH-SOUTH GEO-POLITICAL ZONE OF NIGERIA
Keywords:
cult, crimes, well-being, armed robbery and assassinationAbstract
This study examined the relationship between cult-related crimes and the well-being of rural dwellers in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, with particular emphasis on armed robbery and assassination. Guided by the Human Security Theory, the study sought to determine the extent to which these crimes influence the safety and well-being of rural residents. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. Using Cochran's sample size formula, a sample size of 384 was determined, while 372 valid responses were analyzed. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select participants from rural communities in Cross River, Rivers, and Edo States. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire whose reliability was established using the test–retest method and Cronbach's Alpha. The hypotheses were tested using regression analysis at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that armed robbery had a significant relationship with the well-being of rural dwellers. while assassination also showed a statistically significant relationship with well-being of rural dwellers. The study concludes that cult-related crimes undermine the safety and well-being of rural communities and recommends strengthening community-based security initiatives and intelligence-driven early warning systems to improve human security across the South-South region of Nigeria.
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