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Cross Border Crimes And Socio-economic Development Of Ecowas Development Of Ecowas Members States: The Nigeria Experience
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Over the years various activities across the borders of ECOWAS member states have hindered sustainable economic growth and development in the Union (Orji, 2008 :?) Activities such as bunkering, terrorism, smuggling of banned items, drug trafficking, human trafficking and prostitution do not encourage socio-economic growth in developing nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Togo etc.
The desire to build a vibrant and sound economy is the desire of every patriotic ECOWAS member. This desire can be demonstrated through total elimination or reduction of cross border crimes, and other activities that may hamper the success of free trade policies currently formulated by the economic union.
Cross bordercrime represents a number of illegal and notorious activities carried out by individuals and groupsacross national and international borders, eitherfor financial or economic benefits also socio political cum religious considerations. It is a setof criminal acts whose perpetrators and repercussions go beyond territorial borders (Owolabi, 2009: 23).
Cross border crimes include human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, arms smuggling or trafficking of weapons, international terrorism, illegal oil bunkering, illicit trafficking in diamonds, business fraud, to mentionbut these notable few.Organized criminal groups carry out their illicit activities using major technological tools such as information networks, the financial system and other sophisticatedmeans, while other crude methods include concealing banned items from one country to the other, human trafficking and major oil bunkering activities with speed boats and vessels.
Some cabals involved in cross border crimes also take advantage of differencesin legislation, legal systems and traditions,which often seriously hamper state efforts torespond adequately to the threat of organizedor cross border crimes.
Ortuno and Wiriyachai (2009: 56) have maintained that the past few years have been characterized by a significant increase in global criminal activities such as money laundering, trafficking in human and nuclear technology andmaterial, the trade in human organs and migrant smuggling. At the same time, emergingcrimes such as modern piracy, and traffickingin toxic waste, counterfeit medicines, preciousmetals or natural resources have been added tothe list of traditional illegal activities such asprostitution, drug trafficking and arms trafficking.Most recently,cross national crime has increased in scope and is characterized by increasinglyglobal reach, involved in multiple forms of criminal activity, expanding criminal markets toinclude large-scale financial fraud and cyber-crime. And the syndicates are willing to protect their activities through violent and ruthlessmeans, linked to international terrorist groupsand devising novel and notorious organizationalstrategies to deter capture (Luna 2008).
In Nigeria, the dimension of these criminal activities has increased. The emergence of militancy in the NigerDelta, and the spade of kidnappings have created serious problems of insecurity. This is however done in connivance with security agencies. This situation is scaring to foreign and localinvestors and impinges seriously on the socio-economic development of societyDrug trafficking like its twin sister, money laundering, has economic effect on developingeconomies also. It places increasing demandson the public health services and the society atlarge. These increasing demands and strainscome in different forms,these will include serious epidemic like HIV/AIDS. The United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reports that along the cocaine trafficking route,numbers of users and cases of HIV/AIDS is distinctly higher.It is also noted that a number of youths areinvolved in Drug trafficking and the implication is that these youths stay out of school. Education, especially education being made available to the poor, is key to development in theway that it empowers people. This research intends to investigate and appraise cross -border crimes andits effect on the economy of Nigeria.
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