Abstract:
This study investigated the spatial pattern and dynamics of crime in Abuja Municipal Area Council
(AMAC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Nigeria. The objectives of the study are to
identify the main types of crime that are reported in AMAC and map their occurrences; evaluate
the factors influencing the occurrence of crime; and examine the temporal changes in crime event.
The study employed stratified random sampling technique to select 675 respondents. The sampling
was done from 9 Police Divisional Districts taking equal number of households (75) from each
District. The data obtained were analysed with descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and factor
analysis. Geospatial tools were employed to characterize the spatial pattern as well as the dynamics
of crimes in the area. The results showed that burglary is the most prominent crime reported by
more than a third (33.7%) of the respondents. The other crimes reported are theft (27.9%), vehicle
theft (14.6%) and assault (14.3%) respectively. The analyses also revealed an inverse relationship
between crime rate and police effectiveness. Furthermore, the results showed a significant
relationship between occurrence of crime and each of land-use types, socio-demographic and
environmental factors at 95% confidence level. The study concluded that the provision for
intelligence-led policing facilities is needed in the study area to assist security personnel in
responding quickly to crimes. Also, policing should be very close to the people as crime rates are
generally higher in areas with limited police presence. Furthermore, geospatial tools are shown to
be versatile in capturing the spatial dynamics of crimes. The authorities therefore need to invest in
this towards improved neighbourhood security in the Study Area.
