Rural Urban Migration and its implications on Urban Crimes in Anambra State

Abstract

Migration has persisted since the existence of man on earth. It has also evolved from the simplest to the most complex forms in the modern era. Rural-urban migration is one of the commonest forms of migration globally. In Nigeria, many people are still moving to the urban areas in search of better living condition. This paper examined the implications of rural-urban migration on urban crimes in Anambra state. The Broken Window Theory formed the theoretical thrust for the paper. Furthermore, the cross sectional survey constituted the design for the paper. A sample size of 396 participants was chosen by the application of the Yamane’s sampling size determination formula. The multi stage sampling procedure was used for selecting the study participants from the three senatorial districts of Anambra State. The questionnaire instrument was used for collection of quantitative data. The research questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and simple percentages. It was found among others in the paper that the quest for better educational pursuit and search for better job opportunities were prominent among the factors responsible for rural-urban migration in the state. It was also found that the implications of rural-urban migration on urban crimes include exposing the migrants to criminality when they could not meet their expectations and also increase in the rate of recidivism in the cities. The paper recommended among others that basic infrastructural facilities should be provided for the rural dwellers. Creating job opportunities and better educational facilities in the rural areas to reduce the tendency for rural dwellers to migrate to the city centres were also recommended.