TEMPORAL PATTERNS OF CRIME INCIDENCE AND SECURITY MEASURES FOR ENHANCING GUEST SAFETY IN HOTELS IN CALABAR MUNICIPALITY, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA. 78 28
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.83374/jesber.vol1no3.115Keywords:
Hotels, Crime Incidence, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping, Temporal Patterns and Guest SafetyAbstract
Hotels are designed to provide a serene and attractive environment for guests’ comfort and relaxation. However, beyond the aesthetics appeal, hotels may be exposed to criminal activities that threaten the safety of guests, staff, and property. This study examined the temporal patterns of crime incidence and security measures for enhancing guest safety in hotels in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria. A mixed-method research design incorporating retrospective and cross-sectional descriptive approaches was adopted. Data were collected using questionnaire and observation checklist. Twenty-five hotels were selected from 249 registered hotels representing 10% of the population. The hotels were selected based on their registration with Cross River State Tourism Bureau and a minimum of 5 years of operation. The selected hotels were stratified into three categories based on the number of rooms and available facilities, comprising 4 three-star hotels, 11 two-star, and 10 one-star hotels. A total of 103 hotel managers and security personnel were selected from different hotel categories based on a minimum of five years work experience, willingness and availability to participate in the study. Data on reported cases of armed robbery and kidnapping from 2013 to 2023 were obtained from the Cross River State Police Command. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and trend analysis, while Pearson Chi-square test was used to examine yearly variations in crime occurrence. Armed robbery peaked in 2013 (16 cases), while kidnapping peaked in 2016 (12 cases). Armed robbery showed a statistically significant variation across the years of study (X2 = 315.000, df = 50, P< .001) and a significant linear trend (X2 = 41.159, df = 1, P< .001). Kidnapping also varied significantly across the years (X2 = 441.000, df = 70, P< .001), but showed no significant linear trend (X2 = 2.727, df = 1, P< .099), based on 63 valid cases at 0.05 level of significance. Security measures varied across hotel categories, with technological measures particularly inadequate or absent in one-star hotels. The study recommends integrating technological and physical security measures across all hotel categories and enforcing compliance with minimum security standards.Downloads
References
Adebayo, I. N., & Adebayo, K. J. (2015). The menace of boko haram in hospitality patronage in Nigeria and its effect on health and health care. Developingt Country studies, 5(8), 161-166.
Akpan, F.U. (2017). Security issues and challenges in the hospitality and tourism industry in Idah Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria. Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic Multidisciplinary Journal, 2(2), 34-43
Anichiti, A., Dragolea, L., Tacu Harsan, G., Haller, A., & Butnaru, G. (2021). Aspects regarding safety and security in hotels: Romanian Experience. Information, 12(1),44. https://doi.org/10.3390/info12010044
Aniebiet, J., & Aniekan, E. (2025). The role of technological service innovation in enhancing customer satisfaction: An IOT and smart hospitality study of hotels in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research in Marketing and Management, 12 (1). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15050816
Berezina, K., Cobanoglu, C., Miller, B. L., & Kwansa, F. A. (2012). The impact of information security breach on hotel guest perception of service quality, satisfactions, revisit intentions and word-of-month. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 24(7), 991- 1010. https;//doi.org/ 1108/09596111211258883
Cross River State Tourism Bureau (2022, April 18). Hotels in Cross River State, Nigeria. Cross River State Tourism Bureau Archive.
Digha, O. N., Amatari-Breford, S.A., & Ubaha, R.E. (2022). Consequences of flooding on residential environment in Calabar Municipality. Direct Research Journal of Public Health and Environmental Technology, 7(2),9-20. https://doi.org/10.26765/DRJPHET1299133
Diminyi, C. A., Agaku, D. D., Ibuo, P. A., Anyanwu, D. E., & Odey, C. I. (2020). Service delivery and customer fulfillment in hospitality industry: A study of hotels in Ogoja, Nigeria. International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies, 7(4), 24-30
Efiong, J. (2011). Changing pattern of land use in the Calabar River catchment, southeastern. Nigeria. Journal of Sustainable Development,4(1), 92-92. https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v4n1p92
Eyo, E. E., Fingite, R. O., & Joshua, F. G. (2025). An assessment of common hazards and safety practices in hotels in Cross River State, Nigeria. World Environment Journal, 5(2).
Eyo, E. E., Ajake, A. O., Omubo, R. A., Ekpe, A. O., Ndiyo, N. N., Oyo-Ita, D. E., & Oboma, P. O. (2025). Hotel security preparedness and vulnerability to armed robbery and kidnapping in Cross River State, Nigeria. Journal of Occupational Health, Risk Management and Safety, 1(1), 28. https://doi.org/10. 60787/johrms.vol1no1.28
Eyo, E. E., Omubo, R., Joshua, F. G., Ekpe, A. O., Oboma, P. O., Bassey, B. O., & Ndiyo, N. N. (2025). Assessing knowledge and usage of personal protective equipment among hotel employees in Calabar Metropolis. Journal of Occupational Risk, Management and Safety, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.60787m/johrms.vol1no1.20
Eze, E. B. & Efiong, J. (2010). Morphometric parameters of the Calabar River Basin: Implication for hydrologic processes. Journal of Geography and Geology, 2(1), 18-26. https://doi.org/10.5539/jgg.v2n1p18
Ezenagu, N. D., Diminyi, C. A., & Adewale, (2019). Contribution of purpose-built attractions to tourism promotion in Nigeria: The role of Magicland amusement park, Abuja. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 8(4)
Gbenga, J., Adeola, F., Lateef, A., Peter, B., & Mayowa, A. (2024). Crime occurrence and hotel operating performance: An empirical investigation in Ibadan Municipality, Nigeria. International Journal of Tourism Business Research, 3(2), 199-225. https://doi.org/10.29303/intour.v3i2.1282
George, R. (2010). Managing tourism in South Africa. Oxford University Press
Ghazi, K. M. (2015). Safety and security measures in Egyptian hotels. Journal of Association of Arab Universities for Tourism and Hospitality, 13(1), 165-190. https://doi.org/10.21608/jaauth.2016.49721
Hua, N. & Yang, Y. (2017). Systematic effects of crime on hotel operating performance. Tourism Management, 60 (2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.11.022
Inah, O., & Chukwudi, N. (2017). Evaluation of domestic access to pipe-borne water in Calabar Metropolis, southern Nigeria. Open Access Library Journal, 4(12). https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1103924
Kevin, B., Sydnee, S., Yazdam, M., & Michel, C. (2017). Application of routine activity theory to cyber intrusion location and time. European Dependable Computing Conference (EDCC). https://doi.org/10.1109/EDCC.2017.24
Kim, H., Lee, D., & Ham, S. (2013). Impact of hotel information security on system reliability. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 35, 369-379
Leung, X., Yang, Y., & Dubin, E. (2018). What are guests sacred of? Crime-related hotel experiences and fear of crime, 35(1). Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2018.1473192
Majebi, E. C., Adelakun, L. A., & Chukwunka, C. A. (2024). Deployment of closed-circuit television (CCTV) and security surveillance in hotels within South-West, Nigeria. FUWUKARI Journal of Social Sciences (FUWUKARI), 3 (2).
Nsa, A. (2017, May 26). 50 years of tourism and hospitality in Cross River State. Business Day Newspaper. https://businessday.ng
Nzei, J. A., & Ekeke, J. N. (2021). Hotel security and safety and hotel brand choice in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research (IJAMR), 5(2), 22-31.
Nwokorie, E. C. (2017). Contemporary hospitality management: Academic and business perspective. DES Publishing.
Odeku, K.O. (2020). Kidnappings of international tourists in Nigeria: Impacts on the hospitality sector. African Journal of Hospitality Tourism and Leisure, 9(2), 1-1
Ogbunankwor, C.E., Nwangene, O. C., & Chendo, N.A. (2023). Leisure guests’ perceptions of price and security. The case of Awka, Nigeria. International Journal of Business and Management Review, 11(4), 16-38. https://doi.org/10.37745/ijbmr.2013/vol11n51638
Oladehinde, G.J., Oladele, F.O., Lawal, O.L., & Kehinde, O. J. (2024). Place of hotel characteristics and security systems in hotel operations, Nigeria. Security Journal, 37(4), 1382 – 1408. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41284-024-00422-8
Perera, A. (2024). Routine activities theory. Definition and examples. Simply Psychology.
Savita, R., Rana, V., & Singh, S. (2024). A systematic review on structure of hotel safety and security service: Dimensions and measures. Academy of Marketing Journal, 28 (S5), 1-21
Schoenberger, N. A. (2021). Applying routine activity theory: A case study of the Sonya Farak Drug Scandal. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 9(10). 118-129. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2021.910009
Tabaku, E., & Cerri, S. (2016). An assessment of service quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel sector. Tourism and Hospitality Industry, 480-489.
Taiping, H., Jinlin, Z., & Brendan, D. (2017). Hotel crimes: An unexplored victimization in the hospitality industry. Security Journal, 30 (4). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2016.11
United Nations (2015, September 25-27). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. United Nations. Sdgs.un.org
Yang, Y., & Hua, N. (2022). Does hotel class moderate the impact of crime on operating performance? Tourism Economics, 28(1), 44-61. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816620949040
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Enviromental Sciences and Built Environental Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
All articles are published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Users may share, adapt, and distribute the work provided appropriate credit is given to the authors and JESBER.
