| White-collar crime has been variously described as both endemic and
widespread in Nigeria. White-collar crime is an offense that is
economically motivated and is committed by persons of power and status in
the course of their occupations. Generally known as corruption in Nigeria,
it is an offense that usually remains unreported because of the general
distrust of the Criminal Justice Institutions charged with its control,
hence the attitude: why "report corruption to corruption". White-collar
crime is blamed for Nigeria's poor economic performance, its political
crisis, and poor human rights records. Several factors foster white-collar
crime, including weak institutional, economic, political, social and
historical bases and, it flourishes in the absence of the rule of law, weak
democratic institutions and traditions. All measures put in place by
successive Nigerian governments to prevent and combat white-collar crime
remain ineffective. This many observe is mostly due to the condoning
attitude of the people towards white-collar crime and the fact that everyone
is "involved in the act", so to speak. This study therefore seeks to inquire
into the concept of white-collar crime in Nigeria. Specifically, the
historical, social and cultural factors that foster white-collar crime will
be examined.
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Updated 05/20/2006