CROSS BORDER CRIMES AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF ECOWAS DEVELOPMENT OF ECOWAS MEMBERS STATES: THE NIGERIA EXPERIENCE
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CROSS BORDER CRIMES AND
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF ECOWAS DEVELOPMENT OF ECOWAS MEMBERS STATES: THE
NIGERIA EXPERIENCE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Over the years various
activities across the borders of ECOWAS member states have hindered sustainable
economic growth and development in the Union (Orji, 2008 :?) Activities such as
bunkering, terrorism, smuggling of banned items, drug trafficking, human trafficking
and prostitution do not encourage socio-economic growth in developing nations
such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Togo etc.
The desire to build a
vibrant and sound economy is the desire of every patriotic ECOWAS member. This
desire can be demonstrated through total elimination or reduction of cross
border crimes, and other activities that may hamper the success of free trade
policies currently formulated by the economic union.
Cross bordercrime
represents a number of illegal and notorious activities carried out by
individuals and groupsacross national and international borders, eitherfor
financial or economic benefits also socio political cum religious
considerations. It is a setof criminal acts whose perpetrators and
repercussions go beyond territorial borders (Owolabi, 2009: 23).
Cross border crimes
include human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, arms smuggling
or trafficking of weapons, international terrorism, illegal oil bunkering,
illicit trafficking in diamonds, business fraud, to mentionbut these notable
few.Organized criminal groups carry out their illicit activities using major
technological tools such as information networks, the financial system and
other sophisticatedmeans, while other crude methods include concealing banned items
from one country to the other, human trafficking and major oil bunkering
activities with speed boats and vessels.
Some cabals involved in
cross border crimes also take advantage of differencesin legislation, legal
systems and traditions,which often seriously hamper state efforts torespond
adequately to the threat of organizedor cross border crimes.
Ortuno and Wiriyachai
(2009: 56) have maintained that the past few years have been characterized by a
significant increase in global criminal activities such as money laundering,
trafficking in human and nuclear technology andmaterial, the trade in human
organs and migrant smuggling. At the same time, emergingcrimes such as modern
piracy, and traffickingin toxic waste, counterfeit medicines, preciousmetals or
natural resources have been added tothe list of traditional illegal activities
such asprostitution, drug trafficking and arms trafficking.Most recently,cross
national crime has increased in scope and is characterized by
increasinglyglobal reach, involved in multiple forms of criminal activity,
expanding criminal markets toinclude large-scale financial fraud and
cyber-crime. And the syndicates are willing to protect their activities through
violent and ruthlessmeans, linked to international terrorist groupsand devising
novel and notorious organizationalstrategies to deter capture (Luna 2008).
In Nigeria, the
dimension of these criminal activities has increased. The emergence of
militancy in the NigerDelta, and the spade of kidnappings have created serious
problems of insecurity. This is however done in connivance with security
agencies. This situation is scaring to foreign and localinvestors and impinges
seriously on the socio-economic development of societyDrug trafficking like its
twin sister, money laundering, has economic effect on developingeconomies also.
It places increasing demandson the public health services and the society
atlarge. These increasing demands and strainscome in different forms,these will
include serious epidemic like HIV/AIDS. The United Nation Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) reports that along the cocaine trafficking route,numbers of users
and cases of HIV/AIDS is distinctly higher.It is also noted that a number of
youths areinvolved in Drug trafficking and the implication is that these youths
stay out of school. Education, especially education being made available to the
poor, is key to development in theway that it empowers people. This research
intends to investigate and appraise cross -border crimes andits effect on the
economy of Nigeria.
1.2. STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
Cross border crimes
have slowed down growth and development rates in which most West African
nations should attain globalization and free trade zones have numerous
advantages to an economy-either capitalist or mixed. These benefits are enjoyed
when due processes and legal activities between countries are carried out.
However, in areas with some restrictions in trade, high unemployment rates,
high poverty rates as often witnessed in most developing nations, the reverse
is the case. Revenue realizable from most products smuggled in and out of the
nation is enough to build schools, good roads and other social amenities in
Nigeria.
Cross border criminal
activities in West Africa straddle weak borders into specific geographical
location in affected countries where state capacity to respond to the threat
and challenges posed by these illegal activities is equally weak. The smuggling
of goods, especially cocoa, timber, ivory and petroleum products across
national borders is most prevalent along Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin,
Nigeria and Burkina Faso corridors of the sub-region.Cross border crimes are
increasingly becoming sophisticated by each passing day with devastating
consequences on the economies of countries, particularly Third World countries.
The tendency is that, these crimes affect monies available to government to
provide basic amenities for the poor. These basic amenities may include medical
or health facilities, education, housing, income and the provision of other
infrastructural facilities like road electricity, water and others.
Ordinary business men,
women and sometimes rebels and criminal gangs are involved in the smuggling of
these and other products. These goods are smuggled in vehicles or on foot, using
secret and illegal routes across the borders to evade special regulations,
levies or taxes, thereby making more income through the cross border action of
these products.
For instance Nigeria,
Senegal and Ivory Coast were named and shamed for allegedly fuelling the
illegal Ivory Trade. Having largely wiped out their own elephant population,
the three countries were believed to be importing and selling tonnes of ivory
which had been poached in nearby countries.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE
STUDY
The main objective of
the study is to examine cross border crimes and socio-economic development of
ECOWAS member states. Specific objectives of the study are:
To identify various
cross border crimes perpetuated in ECOWAS member states.
To examine the
challenges posed by cross border crimes and how these challenges affect the
socio-economic growth of Nigeria in particular and other ECOWAS member states.
To appraise the
effectiveness of various machineries put in ground by the government to curb
cross border crimes.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In-order to achieve the
objectives of the research, the following research questions was formulated:
How effective are the
various machineries put in place by the government to curb cross border crimes?
What are the challenges
posed by cross border crimes and how has these challenges affected the
socio-economic growth of Nigeria and other ECOWAS member states?
1.5. HYPOTHESES OF THE
STUDY
H0: There is no significant relationship
between cross border crimes and the economic development of Nigeria.
H1: There is significant relationship between
cross border crimes and the economic development of Nigeria.
H0 The level of cross border crimes in Nigeria is high
H1: The level of cross border crime in Nigeria
is low
H0 The role of government in combating cross
border crime in Nigeria is low
H1 The role of government in combating cross
border crime in Nigeria is high
1.6. SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE STUDY
The study shall analyze
the nature of cross border crimes and elucidate its effect on the socio-economy
of ECOWAS member states. This study would help suggest ways of building a
vibrant and sound economy by reducing the increase in criminal activities. This
work will investigate and appraise cross border crimes and its effect on the
economy of Nigeria.
It shall provide a
significant source of information for security analyst and law enforcement
professionals as well as the general public.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study covers cross
border crimes in ECOWAS member states from 2004-2014, using Nigeria as a case
study.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
CROSS BORDER
CRIME:Cross border crime represent a number of illegal and notorious activities
carried out by individuals and groupsacross national and international borders,
eitherfor financial or economic benefits and also socio political or religious
considerations. It is a setof criminal acts whose perpetrators and
repercussions go beyond territorial borders. These would include human
trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, arms smuggling or trafficking
of weapons, cross-border terrorism, illegal oil bunkering, illicit trafficking
in diamonds, corruption, business fraud, to mention but a few.
MONEY LAUNDRY:Money
laundering is the practice of engaging in financialcross borderactions to
conceal the identity, source, or destination of illegally gained money. It
could also be defined as the process oftaking any action with property of any
formwhich is either wholly or in part the proceeds ofa crime that will disguise
the fact that that property is the proceeds of a crime or obscure thebeneficial
ownership of said property
DRUG TRAFFICKING
DEFINED:Drug trafficking typicallyrefers to the possession of an illegal drug
in apredetermined commercial quantity.
ECOWAS: Economic
Community of West African States. This is a regional group of fifteen West
African countries. Founded on 28th may 1975.
SOCIO ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT: this is a process that
seeks to identify both the social and the economic needs within a community and
seeks to create strategies that would address those needs in a way that are
practical and in the best interest of the community over the long run.
REFERENCES
Abcarian, G. and
Masannat, G. (1970)Contemporary Political System,New York: CharlesScribner’s
Sons.
Asiwaju, A.I. (1992)
Borders and National Defence:
An Analysis, (31‐49), in Ate, B. E.
&Akinterinwa, B.
A. (eds.) Nigeria and
its Immediate Neighbours:
Constriants and
Prospects of Sub‐regional Security
in the 1990s, Pumark
Nigeria Ltd.
3. Ate, B. E.
&Akinterinwa, B. A.
( 1992) Introducing
Issues in Nigeria’s
Security Relations with its
Immediate Nieghbours,
(1‐8),
in Ate, B. &
Akinterinwa, B. (eds.)
(1992) Nigeria and its
Immediate Neighbours:
Constraints and Prospects
of Sub‐regional Security in
the 1990s, Pumark
Nigeria Ltd.
4. Adejo, P.Y. (2005)
“Crime and Cross-Border
Movement of Weapons:
The Case of Nigeria” in A.
Ayissi and I, Sall
(eds), Combating the Proliferation
of Small Arms and Light
Weapons in West Africa:
Handbook for the
Training of Armed and Security
Forces, Geneva: United
Nations Institute of
Disarmament Research
(UNIDIR).
5. Aderinwale, A.
(2005) “Civil Society and the Fight
against the
Proliferation of Small Arms and Light
Weapons” Combating the
Proliferation of Small Arms
and Light Weapons in West
Africa: Handbook for the
Training of Armed and
Security Forces, Geneva:
United Nations
Institute of
Disarmament Research
(UNIDIR).
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