RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION AND INSECURITY IN MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE.

Abstract The study examines rural-urban migration and insecurity in Makurdi Local Government Arca of Benue State. The study was a survey design with questionnaire and interview used as major instrument of primary data collections. The push-pull theory of migration was adopted as a framework for analysis. Findings revealed that, one of the major reasons youths migrate to urban areas like Makurdi LGA is simply because they are not finding employment opportunities in the rural areas, they find themselves in. They want to come to the big towns and cities where they can have access to the numerous white-collar and manual jobs that are found in the urban areas. Thus, the dynamic, nature and character of insecurity in Makurdi LGA ranged from petty to organized crime. There is hardly any day that passes by without one crime or the other being committed in Makurdi LGA. The study further showed that there is significant link between rural-urban migration and insecurity in Makurdi LGA. Thus, the urbanization rate in Makurdi LGA is alarming and this is occasioned by migration based on different push and pull factors. among them is education, employment,commerce.Added to these factors is that of violence that erupted in several localities both within and outside Benue State. The consequences have manifested in several forms including the increasing rate of crime. Thus, the problem of violent crimes in Makurdi LGA has been exacerbated by the youth high rate of rural-uirban migration and economic hardship which has pushed many jobless youths some of whom are graduates into various deadly crimes. The study therefor recommended that the Federal State and local governments should provide the rural areas with more resources. Policies should be formulated to target the youth who are living the rural areas, emphasis should be on entrepreneurship. Also, in Benue State, rural areas are not being provided with enough opportunities and are losing their young people. This has serious socio-economic consequences. Therefore, rural infrastructures such as electricity, water,roads, educational institutions, should be povided in the rural areas to make the young people to remain in the rural areas.