Why We Committed Murder: Views from Convicted Prisoners in Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

The killing of a human being by his or her fellow beats rational imagination. It becomes extremely difficult to comprehend the rationale that makes individuals become deliberately responsible for the death of their kind. Murder is a baffling issue that poses a significant threat to humanity and highlights the challenges to civilization and societal development. Its ongoing presence questions the overall health of any society. This paper examines the reasons murderers in prisons provide for their actions, using strain and social disorganization theories as a framework. Semi-structured questionnaires were given to 615 convicted violent offenders in four Niger State prisons, selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Additionally, sixteen prison warders were interviewed for further insights. The findings indicate that low income (P= .934) was not statistically significant at (P= 0.05) level of significance for the explanation of murder unless redolent with peer pressure (p= 0.02). Special loan packages and partnerships for and between members of the community are suggested to be instituted and encouraged to reduce the pangs of hard economic situations and lack of social capital, which are also potent factors for the explanation of murder.