Influence of Criminal and Violent Minded Interests on Nigerian Traditional Institutions: The Question of Morality in a Populous Religious Society

Abstract

Criminality and violence appear to be globalized world issues in the 21st century. In the Nigeria context, occurrence of crimes and violence has risen to an alarming degree. With the young and old in various functional capacities in Nigeria becoming embodiments of crime and violence, it would seem proper to classify the two phenomena as entrenched culture in contemporary Nigerian social experience. This research aims at exploring the negative effects of allowing criminal and violent minded interests to pollute Nigerian traditional institutions. In the same breath, it explores the unfortunate paradox of increasing level of immorality in a populous highly religious country like Nigeria. The paper then recommends that traditional institutions should be protected against criminals and violent-minded individuals, among other things. Materials for this study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. Historical method of research was adopted. Data collected were analyzed with phenomenological and descriptive style of data analysis.