AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF GENDER DIFFERENCES IN CRIME AND JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study aims to examine gender differences in crime involvement and justice
administration within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Using a cross-sectional survey
design, data were collected from 445 respondents across the Abuja Municipal, Gwagwalada, Bwari,
and Kuje Area Councils, with 434 valid responses (97.5% response rate) obtained through a multistage
sampling procedure. Quantitative analysis employed descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests,
Cramer’s V, mean score comparisons, and Pearson correlation analyses to assess relationships
among gender, socio-economic status, and justice outcomes. Results show a significant association
between gender and type of crime (χ² = 74.86, p < .001), with males predominating in violent and
property offences and females in non-violent, survival-driven crimes. Socio-economic status
strongly correlated with crime involvement (r = 0.69, p < .01), indicating that economic deprivation
predicts higher criminal participation. Institutional bias further influenced justice outcomes, with
women facing moralized judgments and men harsher sentencing for violent crimes. The study
concludes that gender, poverty, and institutional practices jointly shape justice disparities in the
FCT. It recommends the establishment of gender-sensitive prosecutorial guidelines as a concrete
policy intervention to reduce inequities in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.