Abstract:
Language is an indispensable tool for societal development; it gives human beings a sense of identity. It is also a vehicle through which cultural identity is transmitted; hence, language and culture are inseparable. Crime is a devaluation of societal norms and traditions. As people and cultures differ, so also are the divergences in criminality associated with the different cultures. Crime is an integral part of a society; it permeates every sector of a community. Orokam – an autonomous community in the present-day Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State – is not an exception. Orokam community highly upholds ‘Alekwu’ spirit which is believed to be an ancestral deity used to checkmate crime among the people. Alekwu, being the assemblage of the spirits of the ancestors or progenitors in Orokam, is highly revered for it ensures that peace, justice and fairness reign in the community. However, Alekwu is dreadful for it controls criminal activities among the indigenous people of Orokam. Enough awareness about its functions has not been known to both natives and non-natives of Orokam. This paper identifies and examines the activities of Alekwu in crime control. It also examines when, where and how Alekwu operates, and who are the victims of Alekwu as well as why they are victims. The descriptive research method was employed in the analysis. This paper equally x-rays the pedagogic relevance of this study to English as a Second Language (ESL) practitioners.
