Citation

Ayodele JO. S. Afr. Rev. Sociol. 2017; 48(3): 64-83.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, South African Sociological Association, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1080/21528586.2017.1369151

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

By experience, formal control structures working alone have not solved all criminal acts. This article reports on a study that examined the efforts of agba (elder), ajobi (consanguinity) and ajogbe (co-residency) as informal structures of vigilantism to control crime in Egba, Nigeria. The study used a purposive sampling technique to select the study area, and the participants in focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. The data was content analysed. The findings indicated the efforts of agba, ajobi and ajogbe as they manifest in the activities of vigilantism help to prevent, control and solve crimes that inevitably occur in Egba. The study concluded that the informal structures of vigilantism, in partnership with the Western structures of crime control, could sustain the safety in Egba. Government should stimulate formal-informal partnership among crime control structures and actors to improve community participation in crime control in Egba.

Language: en

Keywords

agba; ajobi; ajogbe; crime control; Egba; Nigeria; vigilantism