Ageing, Vulnerability to Criminality and Victimization in Nigeria

Olabisi James Ayodele

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The elderly are a special social category. For their peculiar sociophysiological traits such as frailty, declining immune system, dementia, tenacity and conservatism, old people are vulnerable in many respects. This paper explores the criminality of the elderly as well as their victimization in Nigerian society. The data used for the study were sourced from selected national daily newspapers. It finds that old people in Nigeria constitute an endangered species because they are both active players in the criminal sphere and victims of the crime-game. It canvasses the need for value re-orientation and government responsiveness to the plight of the elderly.