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Common Crimes and Their Punishments

A harmful action committed by one individual against the community, society, or country of another person or people, which often results in the imposition of a penalty, is referred to as a crime or an offence. Criminal activities or actions are prohibited by law and are subject to legal punishment.

According to this interpretation, any behaviour that has the potential to cause injury to another person is illegal. People are considered to have committed crimes when they act in a manner that is contrary to the laws that govern their communities or societies. These offences might result in legal repercussions.

When a person intentionally or unintentionally violates the law in a way that leads to their being punished, they have committed a crime. An individual is considered to have committed a criminal offence if they are found to be in violation of a law or norm.

Categories of Crime

There are two primary types of criminal activity, which are as follows:

1. Crimes against Property

2. Violent Crimes

3. Omission Crimes

Crimes Against Property

A person commits a property crime when they steal, damage, or otherwise take another person’s property without their permission. Theft of automobiles, vandalism of buildings, damage of property owned by the government, and other similar acts are all examples of property crimes. Property crimes are by far the most common kind of crime that individuals in Nigeria conduct against one another.

Violent Crime

Someone is guilty of committing a violent crime if they do harm to another person, try to cause harm, threaten to cause damage, or even plot to cause harm to another person. Offenses such as rape, robbery, and murder are examples of violent crimes since they include the use of force or the threat of force. Killing another human being with criminal intent and in violation of the law is the definition of homicide. It is more often referred to as murder.

However, there are certain offences that might be classified as both violent and property offences at the same time. For instance, robbing someone when they are defenceless against your attack is both a violent crime and a property crime.

Omission crime

There are also certain criminal acts that do not include physical violence or the destruction of property. Omission crime is the term given to this kind of illegal behaviour. Neglecting to pay taxes or disregarding posted traffic rules are both examples of crimes of omission. Even if no one was hurt and no property was harmed, the public is nonetheless placed in risk as a result of this criminal act.

It is possible to commit a crime without taking any action at all; this kind of wrongdoing is referred to as “negligent crime.” For instance, it is possible to commit the crime of carelessness by withholding medicine from someone who needs it or by ignoring someone who needs medical care or attention. Again, if you know someone who is abusing a child and you fail to report it, you may be charged with a negligent offense for failing to act if specific conditions are met. This includes not reporting the abuse.

WEEK 5 – 8

Common Crimes and Associated Punishment

People in a group or culture are responsible for committing a variety of crimes that are illegal and subject to punishment under the law. Theft, rape, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and murder are some of the crimes that fall under this category.

1. Theft

The act of stealing another person’s property without their permission or agreement with the goal to deprive the owner of that property is considered theft. Theft is often a crime that results in imprisonment as the penalty. Theft is punishable by a prison sentence that may range from days to months to years, depending on the value of the property that was taken. Theft crimes include things like burglary, embezzlement, looting, robbery, shoplifting, and fraud. Other examples include looting and looting of buildings.

2. Rape

A rape is a sort of sexual assault that often consists of sexual activity being carried out against a person without that person’s permission. In most cases, it involves the use of physical force or abuse against a person who is either unconscious or younger than the age at which permission may be legally given. It is a crime that may result in a sentence of imprisonment.

3. Drug Trafficking

The act of creating, transporting, distributing, or selling illicit substances is referred to as “drug trafficking,” and it encompasses all of these activities. In certain nations, the illegal importation of hard drugs like cocaine, marijuana (heroin), cannabis, and others is an integral part of the drug trafficking industry. A conviction for the crime of drug trafficking may result in severe punishment, but the specifics of that sentence might differ from nation to nation. As an example, the crime of drug trafficking may result in the death penalty in nations such as Indonesia, Korea, China, and Japan (death by hanging). In contrast, the crime of drug trafficking in Nigeria may result in a sentence of 10 years or more in jail, or perhaps life behind bars.

4. Human Trafficking

This practise may be traced back to the abolition of the slave trade in the early 19th century. The practise of illegally recruiting, transporting, and transferring humans across international boundaries with the goal to mislead and exploit them for the purposes of sexual slavery, forced labour, or commercial sexual exploitation is referred to as the trade of human trafficking. The trafficking of people may take place either inside a nation or between countries. It is a criminal offence since it restricts the victims’ constitutionally protected right to freedom of movement. This offence carries a sentence of between five and ten years in prison.

5. Murder

The unjustifiable killing of another human being is referred to as murder. A person who commits murder denies the victim of the right to life when they carry out the act. Nobody is expected to murder another person in an illegal manner in Nigeria, regardless of the motivation. Murder is seen as a terrible crime, both in today’s society and in cultures of the past, and is often met with harsh penalties. If someone is prosecuted for murder and found guilty, the punishment that they get is almost always either life in prison or the death penalty. 6. Manslaughter: Manslaughter is a crime that is closely connected to homicide. A person is guilty of manslaughter if they killed another human being in a way that was regarded to be less violent. Both murder and manslaughter are crimes that may result in a sentence of either life in prison or a lengthy period behind bars.

7. Arson

An harm to the property or the purposeful burning of a structure or building is referred to as an act of arson. There is no need that the structure be either residential or commercial; rather, it might be any building that the fire has caused structural damage to. The severity of the harm determines the length of the sentence, which may be anywhere from one to twenty years.

People also often conduct the following other types of crimes

i. Aiding and abetting

ii. Assault, battery, bribery, burglary, child abuse.

iii. Child pornography, computers/cyber crime

iv. Computer crime (Yahoo yahoo)

V. Conspiracy

vi. Credit card fraud

vii. Domestic violence

viii. Drug cultivation

ix.Drunk driving

X. Embezzlement

xi. Extortion

xii. Forgery

xiii. Fraud

xiv. Harassment

XV. Money laundering

xvi. Perjury Harassment

xvii.Laundering of money

xviii. Making false statements

xix. Engaging in prostitution

WEEK 9 & 10

How to Stay Away from Crime

It is far simpler to exhibit poor behaviour than to have a positive mindset. People that participate in illegal behaviour do it subtly at first until they are able to perfect it. You are cautioned as students not to do crimes that might damage your family’s reputation.

To stop engaging in criminal behaviour, the following strategies might be used:

1. Don’t accept a free gift from a person whose honesty or character are in doubt. There is a propensity for someone who offers you a present when you don’t deserve it to be luring you into a group. This group could turn out to be a criminal organisation. You are unable to leave the group after you have been initiated.

2. Steer clear of unfinished retaliation. Actions motivated by resentment, jealously, bitterness, or fury are known as revengeactions. Your mind may become attracted to criminal behaviour as a result of these behaviours.

3. Control your behaviour and emotions. Spend some time watching how you respond to various circumstances and how you see yourself.

4. Keep your principles in check. The wickedness of harbouring a secret hatred for another person rivals that of murder. Morals originate in the heart. Our hearts naturally contain evil, therefore we must actively control what enters and leaves them.

5. Always think about the effects of your actions before taking them. This encourages you to consider your actions before taking them.

6. Keep jealousy out of your thoughts. Naturally, we are envious of those who have the means to engage in any activity. Most of the time, people who we assume to be affluent may not really be. Earn a livable salary by working hard..