Series #43: Urbanization Creates Opportunities for Criminal Elements to Dominate Rural Settings
As people’s desire for social advancement continues to grow, many aspire to live in luxurious and serene urban environments. However, in the pursuit of life in big and expensive cities, we often leave behind our elderly parents, ancestral homes, and cultural heritage, paying little attention to renovating or preserving properties from falling into decay.
This has become a growing trend among the younger generation. While the ambition to improve one’s standard of living is commendable, it sometimes weakens the bond of family and community unity that once helped people build together, monitor their environment, detect suspicious activities, and collectively resist insecurity threatening their communities.
A visit to many rural areas today reveals that strangers now occupy houses and buildings originally built by respected dignitaries, chiefs, and wealthy families. Many of these properties are inhabited by people from outside the community or state who engage in farming or other businesses. Some abandoned buildings are used as storage facilities or silos, while others are handed over freely simply to prevent them from remaining vacant.
In essence, while people continue building cities and developing urban areas, they may unknowingly be creating opportunities for criminal elements to establish themselves in neglected rural communities.
Many crimes today are planned in places society pays little attention to, areas considered unattractive, undeveloped, or abandoned. From such environments, criminals can easily disguise themselves, blend into society, and organize activities capable of threatening public safety.
There is a need to reconsider the growing culture of concentrating development only in urban centres while abandoning rural communities to strangers.
A security-conscious individual should see value in developing rural areas to acceptable and attractive standards instead of completely neglecting them in pursuit of distant urban lifestyles.
Just be good. Reflect. Stay alert.