Poverty and Crime Nexus in Kaduna South Local Government Area

The relationship between poverty and criminal behavior has long been a central debate in sociological criminology, with structural economic conditions widely theorized as drivers of property crime and social disorder. This study examines the poverty-crime nexus in Kaduna South Local Government Area, Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was employed, with structured questionnaires administered to 280 residents and thirty serving inmates at the Kaduna Medium Security Prison whose offenses were documented. The General Strain Theory of Agnew was applied as the primary theoretical framework. Results indicate that 69% of prison respondents came from households below the national poverty line, with unemployment immediately preceding the index offense reported by 74% of imprisoned respondents. Property crimes including theft, armed robbery, and fraud accounted for 81% of offenses among the prison sample, consistent with economic motivation. Community survey respondents in lower-income neighborhoods reported 2.7 times higher personal victimization rates than those in middle-income areas. Community social capital, measured by neighborhood mutual aid behaviors and informal social control, moderated the poverty-crime relationship significantly: poor communities with high social capital demonstrated lower crime rates than equally poor communities with weak social ties. Religious observance was associated with lower individual crime probability across all income groups. The study recommends targeted poverty alleviation programs in Kaduna South high-crime zones, community policing models that leverage existing social capital structures, and employment creation schemes for ex-convicts. Keywords: poverty, crime, Kaduna South, strain theory, community social capital.