write an expository essay on insecurity in nigeria

International Law and Development in the Global South pp 13–32 Cite as

Causes and Implications of Worsening Insecurity in Nigeria: Developing a Cure Through the Law

• Nicholas O. Agbo 5  
• First Online: 01 January 2023

181 Accesses

Nigeria is presently enmeshed in a rising insecurity of unimaginable dimension. On April 26, 2021 Boko Haram killed 30 Nigerian soldiers in Sokoto. Several terror groups ranging from Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, bandits, jihadist, kidnappers, etc., now waste human life more easier than one can waste a mere animal. The entire Nigerian citizenry now literally sleep with two eyes open, emasculated by the fear of these terror groups and the pains and destruction they are capable of unleashing on innocent law-abiding citizens. In the wake of all these, the economy has receded deep into the wood as the national legal tender continues its astronomical downward plunge. This paper seeks to interrogate the sources, and implication of the rising state of insecurity in the nation with a view to finding possible solutions through law. The key recommendations of the paper will be an immediate return to true federalism, strict adherence to the rule of law, vigorous enforcement of the financial crimes laws as well as enacting more efficacious one such as the Unexplained Wealth Orders as a tool for reviving the dead war against corruption, immediate enactment of a law to establish State Police, codification of moral values and ethics and embarking upon moral rearmament of the citizenry, redressing of obvious past and present wrongs and placement of merit over mediocrity.

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Agbo, N.O. (2023). Causes and Implications of Worsening Insecurity in Nigeria: Developing a Cure Through the Law. In: Duruigbo, E., Chibueze, R., Gozie Ogbodo, S. (eds) International Law and Development in the Global South . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13741-9_3

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INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: GENESIS, CONSEQUENCES AND PANACEA

Insecurity is one of, if not the most glaring and much talked about thing in Nigeria today. Acts of insecurity occur on daily basis throughout the country. Right thinking and sane Nigerians are really concerned about this ugly trend. This paper digs into the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria, its effects on the country and proffers/suggests ways out of this nightmare. The causes amongst so many include fundamentally illiteracy, unemployment/joblessness, poor leadership, porous nature of our boarders, proliferation of arms, non-compliance with the rule of law. The effects are also there – underdevelopment, poverty, hunger, insurgency, militancy, youth restiveness, kidnapping, armed robbery, fear, drug abuse, political thuggery, etc. As part of the way out of this, this paper suggests that ‘career’ (technical) education be emphasized rather than the ‘degree’ (non-technical) education. Civics as a subject should be restored in the primary school curriculum; the country be restructured as demanded by most of the populace, community policing introduced and supported; rule of law and quality leadership firmly established and spirit of nationalism enshrined in the minds of the citizenry.

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The issue of insecurity in Nigeria

A man set a bonfire on the Kaduna-Abuja highway in Gauruka, near Abuja, Nigeria, on May 24, 2021 during a protest against incessant kidnapping and killing after gunmen kidnapped 16 residents and killed three others in Niger State. (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP)

A trouble is a private matter and occurs when values cherished by an individual are felt by him to be threatened, while issues have to do with matters that transcend the local environments of the individual. So when values cherished by the public are felt to be threatened, then there is an issue because that is a communal matter.

If only one man is unemployed in a city of 100,000, that is his personal trouble, and for a solution, we investigate the character of the person, his skills and his immediate opportunities, but when in a nation of 50 Million people we have 15 Million that are unemployed, that is an issue and we may not hope to find its solution within the range of opportunities open to any individual, this signifies that the very structure of opportunities has collapsed.

In the above scenario, both the correct statement of the problem and the range of possible solutions, require us to consider economic and political institutions of the society and not merely the personal situation and character of individuals.

In the early 20th century sociologists typically associated social problems such as unemployment, crime, poverty with deviant individuals. As a result when they sought to solve social problems, they focus on changing individual behaviour, although this approach is still alive today, sociologist had by and large arrived at a different understanding.

By the mid-century, sociologist turned away from an emphasis on individuals to a consideration of the social structures of nation’s organisations and institutions such as corporations, governments and the media for an understanding of the possible factors influencing social inequalities.

Sociologists has come to define social problems as problems that concern large numbers of people, have social structural causes, and require social-structural solutions. This approach remains fundamental to the sociological perspective. It was a step forward from the individualistic approach. Because by finally demonstrating that social problems have structural causes, sociologist helped to steer the people away from unproductive scape-goating of individuals to an awareness of the need for social change.

When a problem affects a large number of people, we must look beyond individuals to social structures-the larger economic, political, and social patterns of a society, we cannot solve the problems of a society that is structurally flawed by changing individuals one at a time.

We live in a world where people are increasingly interconnected and so are their problems, people in USA lose their jobs when factories are moved to nations where wages are lower. In Brazil people lose their homelands when the rain forests are cut down to make furniture for the world market, these are pointers to the need for one to look beyond what is being seen as a problem to determine its influencing factors.

For over a decade, Nigeria has been fraught with insecurity challenges, from Boko Haram and their ISWAP counterparts to Bandits and unknown gun men, in the midst of all this, the statistics of unemployed youths and graduates in the nation has been rising to an alarming rate, the basic development infrastructures like electricity to enhance the industrialization of the nation in order to create employment opportunities has been lacking, thereby crippling other efforts to drive the economic resurgence of the 7th most populous nation in the world.

It’s a fact that the issue of insecurity in the nation has invincible social sponsors like poverty and unemployment; these contributes to frustration and anger that can result to one taking to armed robbery, kidnapping or pitching tent with agitators calling for dissolution of the nation under the guise of revolutionaries thereby creating more panic in the society.

Leading nations of the world are undergoing a process of modernization, encompassing changes such as industrialization, urbanization, and growing social complexity in the modernization perspective. Insecurity in Nigeria and Imo are social problems inherent in Nigeria, and as a social problem, can be seen as failures in modernization. For example, in today’s world societies that fail to industrialize will be poor and conflict ridden. On an optimistic note, this perspective suggests that these problems can be solved through government intervention to lead society on the road to modernization.

So many of today’s social problems are global in nature, we cannot hope to solve them by focusing on individual nations, ISWAP that are recently credited with killing of Shekau the Boko Haram leader, is an offshoot of a globally recognised terrorist network.

On this premise, Senator Hope Uzodinma and other Governors facing insecurity challenges are also victims of the same circumstance with the people they govern, because the challenge cannot be resolved successfully by an individual, but with modernistic social approaches strong enough to trigger a paradigm shift among the populace, that can feed them with hope and dreams that are far better than for them resorting to violence.

The Nigerian government has to understand that insecurity in the nation requires a proactive economic plan, accompanied by a wealth of opportunities to help engage its people in productive activities that can help them to dream of a better tomorrow.

Prisons and Electric Chairs in nations like USA have not stopped the crimes associated with drugs and gun violence, so equipping Nigerian Military and Police Force with exotic weapons will not end insurgency faster than creating an enabling environment that will help the people to dream would.

The Insecurity in Imo and its concomitant hazards that has been successfully arrested as a situation was inherited from Nigeria by Senator Hope Uzodinma, the Unknown Gun-men issue is related to other inherent negative social factors in other parts of Nigeria as well as other nations outside of Nigeria.

The best he can do for Imo and his people is to create a wealth of opportunities like he is doing, recently he empowered 15,000 Imo youths with a seed of 250,000 Naira each, after completing their entrepreneurial skills. That is a good step in the right direction but will not end the issue until the entire political leadership of Nigeria accelerate the steps towards industrialization, and create not just opportunities but an enabling environment to help their people dream differently.

Insecurity in Nigeria is not a national problem as most people think but rather trans-national, Nigeria need to look beyond its borders for insurgents, as well as overhauling its economic plan to totally eliminate this visible and invisible enemy.

Senator Hope Uzodinma as Governor of Imo State is innocent just like every one of us that has not chosen violence, guns and grenades as means of conversing with our fellow Nigerians. Leadership sometimes comes with tough and unpleasant decisions and the Governor has not retreated from them having consistently chosen the ones that serve the interest and safety of Imo people first.

Before we start apportioning blames and looking for whom to fault for the uncertainties that has ravaged our communities in this short time, we need to remember that we are citizens in a global world that we do not control. Insecurity in Nigeria and Imo, are social problems that unemployment, poverty of opportunities and lack of basic amenities to enhance the survival of an individual will remain its unseen sponsors.

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• Hope Uzodinma
• Insecurity in Nigeria

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Essay On Insecurity In Nigeria | Reasons And Solutions

Insecurity is a big problem in Nigeria. It affects how safe people feel, the economy, and how the country works. This essay will talk about some of the things that make Nigeria insecure and what can be done to make it safer for everyone.

Table of Contents

Essay About Tackling Insecurity for a Safer Nigeria

Terrorism: spreading fear.

For many years, Nigeria has been dealing with terrorism. Groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have been attacking people and places. They’ve destroyed important things like roads and buildings. Millions of people had to leave their homes because of them. This has made many Nigerians really scared and unsure about the future.

Inter-Communal (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Violence: Fighting in Communities

Sometimes, people from different communities fight each other. This happens a lot in the northern and central parts of Nigeria. They fight about things like land, resources, and who has power. This fighting has caused many deaths and made people lose their homes and belongings.

Kidnapping: A Dangerous Business

Kidnapping has become a big problem in Nigeria. People are taken away and held for money. Both Nigerians and foreigners are targeted. This kind of crime is happening more in cities. It makes people worried about their safety and the safety of their loved ones.

Corruption: Weakening the Country

Corruption makes Nigeria less safe. It’s when people in power use their position for their own gain. Corruption makes laws weaker and lets bad things happen. It also makes it easy for criminals to do bad things. People lose trust in the government and police when they see corruption happening.

Solutions: Working Together for Safety

Stopping insecurity needs everyone to help. The police and other groups that keep people safe need to get stronger. They need to get better at finding out what’s happening and stopping it. Nigeria also needs to fix the things that make people fight, like poverty and not treating everyone fairly. Using technology like cameras and drones can help keep an eye on things. Talking and finding peaceful ways to solve problems can also stop violence.

What are the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria?

Insecurity in Nigeria is caused by various factors that create an environment of instability and fear. These root causes include:

Poverty and Inequality: Many Nigerians live in poverty and lack access to basic necessities like education, healthcare, and jobs. This unequal distribution of resources can lead to frustration and resentment, making some individuals more susceptible to engaging in criminal activities or joining extremist groups.

Unemployment: High levels of unemployment, especially among the youth, create a sense of hopelessness and desperation. Unemployed individuals may turn to crime or be easily recruited by criminal organizations or extremist groups.

Corruption: Rampant corruption in government and institutions weakens the rule of law and erodes public trust. When people perceive that the system is unfair and corrupt, they may be more likely to take matters into their own hands or support criminal activities.

Ethnic and Religious Tensions: Nigeria is ethnically and religiously diverse, and sometimes these differences lead to conflicts. Competition for resources, political power, or cultural dominance can escalate into violence and insecurity.

Lack of Education: Limited access to quality education deprives individuals of opportunities for personal and economic growth. Without education, people may resort to illegal or extremist activities to survive or find purpose.

How has insecurity in Nigeria affected the country’s economy?

Insecurity in Nigeria has had a significant impact on the economy in various ways:

Reduced Foreign Investment: Insecurity deters foreign investors from putting money into Nigeria. They fear that their investments may be at risk due to instability and unrest.

Disruption of Business Activities: Insecure environments disrupt normal business operations. Companies may face difficulties transporting goods, conducting transactions, or even maintaining the safety of their employees.

Agricultural Decline: Insecurity affects agriculture, a key sector of Nigeria’s economy. Farmers may be unable to tend to their fields due to safety concerns, leading to reduced food production and higher food prices.

Tourism Impact: Insecure conditions discourage tourism, which could otherwise contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economy. Potential tourists may avoid the country due to safety worries.

What are some of the government’s efforts to address insecurity in Nigeria?

The Nigerian government has taken several steps to address insecurity and promote stability:

Security Forces Strengthening: The government has invested in equipping and training security forces to combat various forms of insecurity, including terrorism, kidnapping, and communal violence.

Anti-Corruption Initiatives: Efforts to curb corruption have been launched, including investigations and prosecutions of corrupt officials. These initiatives aim to strengthen institutions and restore public trust.

Community Policing: The government has been promoting community policing to enhance security at the local level. This approach involves collaboration between law enforcement and communities to identify and address security challenges.

Economic Programs: The government has initiated economic programs aimed at reducing poverty and unemployment, such as job creation schemes and vocational training to provide alternatives for at-risk individuals.

International Cooperation: Nigeria collaborates with international partners, such as neighboring countries and international organizations, to share intelligence, resources, and expertise in tackling cross-border security threats.

Conclusion: A Brighter and Safer Nigeria

Insecurity is a big challenge in Nigeria. It makes people scared and affects the country’s progress. But by working together, Nigeria can become a safer place. Strengthening the police and other safety groups, stopping corruption, and finding peaceful solutions can make Nigeria a better and more secure home for everyone.

These efforts represent steps toward building a safer and more secure Nigeria. However, addressing insecurity requires sustained commitment and cooperation from all sectors of society.

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Expository Essay on Insecurity in Nigeria

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Here you have Expository Essay on Insecurity in Nigeria, also learn how to write essay on any topic by more examples. 

Introduction

One in three Nigerians has plans to move out of the country. The reason is not far off. The song on everyone’s lips is “the insecurity of their lives and property, the deteriorating economy, corruption and terrorism.”

 National insecurity increases with each passing day. The state of national unrest will turn entirely into a bloodbath if no significant action is taken. The chaos created by apostates is deadly everywhere in the world.

Insecurity in Nigeria is based on corruption and corruption in all sectors. About 98 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty making the country the world’s poorest capital; in this figure, many young people and children; these age groups are directly linked to terrorism and act as significant agents and agents of chaos. Nigeria is now in a state of lawlessness. This is due to the weakness of the justice system.

Extraordinary leaders have significantly contributed to the increase in social ills in the nation. The insecurity of lives and structures is a joint statement made by the average Nigerian. Boko Haram insurgents in Northern Nigeria have killed many orphans, widows, and widowers through bombings and killings.

Many northerners have fled their homes to seek refuge in IDP camps and neighboring countries. In recent weeks, it has been reported that some youths in the Sokoto region refused to listen to their Governor’s request to return home while enjoying peace of mind outside the Niger Republic.

Kidnapping, a thriving new business nation, has bound the interests of many – as elites and ordinary people are kidnapped for ransom. Recently, students have suffered greatly from this hardship. Schools are now dangerous for students in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, and many other Northern provinces.

The hopes of many of the captives in this spectacle remain unsettled. Fearing the abduction of their children, parents now love their wards at home rather than at school.

In extreme cases, a person often gets into a fight. Now sects sprout in every corner of the globe to protect themselves and their loved ones. Illegal weapons are now commonplace.

Missing bullets have claimed the lives of many promising young people. Shepherds are giving a wrong assignment, too. Many farmers have fled their farms to protect their lives from deadly herders.

How long these will remain is what no one could have predicted. Hopefully, soon. Nigeria will be relieved of its insecurities and will rejoice in the liberation of Boko Haram, Gangsters, Livestock Killers, and other rebel groups who have been teasing her.

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• Conflict Trends 2021/4

Banditry in Nigeria: Insights from Situational Action and Situational Crime Prevention Theories

• March 15, 2022
• Political Unrest or Violence

Situational Action Theory explains banditry in Nigeria, while Situational Crime Prevention offers practical solutions for the banditry problem.

Introduction.

Insecurity in Nigeria is a recurring phenomenon that threatens the well-being of its citizens. The multipronged occurrence constitutes a bane to development and leads to the proliferation of crime. As a multifaceted quandary, insecurity assumes varying dimensions in different geopolitical zones. The South West is plagued by a surge in cybercrime, armed robbery, kidnapping, domestic crime, extrajudicial killings, herder-farmer conflicts, ritual killings, and banditry. The South East is a haven for ritual killings, commercial crime, secessionist agitation, kidnapping, herder-farmer clashes, attacks by unknown gunmen, and banditry. The South remains threatened by militancy, kidnapping, and environmental agitation. The North East has been subject to a humanitarian crisis lasting over a decade and caused by the Boko Haram insurgency and the Islamic State in West Africa Province. Meanwhile, the North West is enmeshed in illegal mining, ethnoreligious killings, and banditry. It is, therefore, an axiom that insecurity in Nigeria has assumed a disproportionate geopolitical stance and that it has claimed thousands of lives and extensive damage and loss of property.

In the context of the aforementioned security problems, banditry has recently come to the fore with increased activities in the northwest region of the country, particularly in Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina states. Banditry refers to ‘a type of organized crime that includes kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, rape, cattle-rustling, and the exploitation of environmental resources’. [1]  Some of the factors that have led to the rise and persistence of banditry in Nigeria are under-governed spaces, a weak security apparatus, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, socioeconomic conditions such as poverty and unemployment, cattle rustling, and illegal mining activities in the North West.

Even though the incidence of banditry in Nigeria is beginning to attract scholarship, the theoretical expositions remain embryonic. This article fills the gap by offering explanations for the occurrence of banditry in Nigeria through Situational Action Theory (SAT). This is done bearing in mind that an understanding of the motivating factors of crime provides insights and potential solutions. Furthermore, the available literature largely fails to characterise the phenomenon adequately and tends to offer vague solutions. The article thus proposes practical solutions through the strategies of Situational Crime Prevention (SCP). The article presents an overview of banditry in Nigeria and SAT, as well as discussing mitigating the challenge of banditry through SCP.

An Overview of Banditry in Nigeria

Banditry is a serious crime that poses a security challenge to democratic governance and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. Bandits often terrorise communities in the North West region. Their activities include kidnapping, arson, shooting, rape, cattle rustling, killing, and looting. [2]

The prevalence of under-governed spaces where the government’s control is ineffective and limited is a major factor giving rise to banditry. [3]  Such areas are characterised by bad governance, weak legitimacy, protracted conflict, and poor leadership, which makes citizens vulnerable to exploitation by terrorist groups, traffickers, and other criminal elements. Such areas are not generally entirely devoid of the government’s control but are governed poorly and differently from larger communities. These poorly governed territories are plagued by bandits and other criminal gangs due to their remoteness, which allows for the perpetuation of an array of illegal business activities. It is not uncommon to find human trafficking, piracy, cattle rustling, and illegal mining in such areas. These areas are used to promote and sustain an illegal, informal economy. Examples of such include large forests in Rumah/Kukar Jangarai, Kamuku, Balmo, Katsina, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Kano states. Meanwhile, the Nigerian police are generally understaffed and poorly equipped, leaving them incapable of promoting security in under-governed spaces, a major factor that encourages criminality in these areas.

Under-governed spaces coupled with the country’s porous borders have increased the influx of small arms and light weapons from the Sahel region – thus increasing the opportunities for crime. This is facilitated by vast forests which allow the illegal arms trade to fester. It is further complicated by the socioeconomic conditions prevalent in the North West, which leave the youth vulnerable to recruitment for criminal activities. The socioeconomic realities that exist include multidimensional poverty, widespread unemployment, deprivation, inequality, marginalisation, exclusion and lack of access to basic amenities. Even though this is a national challenge, the North is particularly affected. For example, Zamfara, Jigawa, and Sokoto states have poverty levels of 74%, 87%, and 87.7%, respectively. [4]  These conditions make the region even more susceptible to crime, including as a result of the activities of Boko Haram and now, banditry.

Another major factor that has increased the incidence of banditry is the complex relationship between pastoralists and farmers. Desertification, drought, climate change, cattle rustling, insurgency, and population growth have led to the ongoing migration of pastoralists or herdsmen. This migration has seen pastoralists clash with farmers over the encroachment of farmland and destruction of crops. In extreme cases, these conflicts have led to the wanton destruction of life and property of both the farmers and pastoralists, thus contributing in no small degree to the level of insecurity in the country. [5]

Another cause of banditry in Nigeria is the illegal mining activities in the North West region of the country. Illegal mining is prominent in Niger, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara states, has triggered violent conflict over the control of minefields, and has led to the deaths of thousands of people. [6]  Due to the displacement caused by the conflict, the people of the region engage in banditry as an alternate means of survival. [7]  Meanwhile, the increase in illegal activities has been attributed to poor governance, poor service delivery, the prevalence of poverty, and widespread unemployment in the geopolitical zone, which makes the youth susceptible to involvement in crime.

The effect of banditry is extensive. In addition to complicating the security crisis in the country, it has also increased the incidence of forced migration, food insecurity, cattle rustling, destruction of property, health challenges, displacement, humanitarian crises, and death. For example, between 2018 and 2020, an estimated 4900 people lost their lives to bandit attacks, while 309 000 internally displaced persons and 60 000 refugees have been recorded. [8]

Situational Action Theory and Banditry in Nigeria

SAT is a theory of crime developed in 2004 by Per-Olof Wikström. It attempts to explain what moves people to action such as crime by incorporating ecological, criminological, sociological, and behavioural sciences. Crime is an action that violates the law and is a result of the interplay between an individual’s exposure to criminogenic settings and the propensity for criminality, that is, an individual’s time in an unsupervised or poorly governed space and level of self-control determine the occurrence of crime. SAT posits that crime is motivated by an individual’s morality and the prevailing situation. People are responsible for their actions, but the causes of their actions are situational. Therefore, an act of crime is the product of a choice made after considering various alternative scenarios and stimuli presented by a particular situation. Thus, crime is committed when it is perceived as a worthwhile and suitable alternative, given the prevailing situation, and/or when a person fails to apply moral restraint. [9]

The situational stance advanced by SAT rests on four major elements: the person (psychological make-up, experience, and so on), the setting (the environment an individual is exposed to), the situation (choices resulting from interaction with the setting), and action (the person’s behaviour). SAT explicates the notion that factors that induce crime are the same for all people, regardless of their age and criminal career stage. The theory argues that people’s propensity to commit a crime is different, just as environments also vary. The setting an individual finds themself in determines whether a crime will be committed or not. For example, an individual who struggles as a result of multidimensional poverty and finds themself in an environment without guardianship, but with certain escape options and resources, is likely to commit crime. Crime occurrence, therefore, is the interaction between an individual’s crime propensity and the setting’s criminogenic incentive. A person with a low crime propensity – due to a strong moral rectitude and/or the presence of government authority – will be less susceptible to criminogenic incentives, while a person with a high crime propensity is less likely to resist crime inducement. [10]

SAT proposes the following key basic assumptions:

• People are essentially rule-guided creatures. They express their desires and respond to friction within the context of rule-guided choices;
• Social order is based on shared rules of conduct. Patterns in human behaviour are based on rule-guided routines;
• People are the source of their actions. People perceive, choose, and execute their actions;
• The causes of action are situational. An individual’s particular perception of action alternatives, the process of choice, and execution of the action are triggered and guided by the relevant input from the person-environment interaction;
• Crimes are moral actions. Crimes are actions that break rules of conduct (stated in law) about what is the right or wrong thing to do in a particular circumstance. [11]

SAT explains different crimes ranging from theft to terrorism. In explaining radicalisation and terror, SAT highlights the key problems of vulnerability, exposure, and emergence. To develop crime propensity, the individual has to be exposed to crime-supportive moral contexts; a setting that induces crime must be present and the person in regular contact with it; and the individual has to be sensitive to the influence of the crime-supportive setting that they come into contact with. [12]

When applied to banditry in Nigeria, SAT expounds on the interaction between the person, setting, situation, and action. The individual (especially with a low crime propensity) is motivated by the situation to consider crime as a worthwhile alternate to realise the desired outcome. Because the individual is a product of the society they live in, they are likely to subscribe to society’s norms. Following Wikström’s postulations, crime results from an interaction between a person and the environment. [13]  Therefore, in a society characterised by criminogenic inducement, the individual becomes vulnerable to crime. The situation and settings thus motivate an individual’s action. The psychological experience resulting from multidimensional poverty, exclusion, unemployment, marginalisation, inequality, and displacement coupled with the prevailing circumstance in the setting, such as under-governed spaces, illegal mining activities, the influx of small arms and light weapons and a poorly equipped security apparatus, engenders a negative situation which encourages deleterious action (banditry). Put differently, the increase in banditry in Nigeria is attributable to the interactions among people who are victims of adverse socioeconomic conditions in the setting. The setting is characterised by recurring social malaise. Negative choices result from interaction with the setting, which leads to criminal action.

Mitigating the Challenge of Banditry through Situational Crime Prevention

As SAT argues, to change people’s criminal behaviour, we must change people, change environments, and change people’s exposure to environments. This will help reduce crime propensity and external criminogenic incitement and interaction. SCP is applicable in addressing situations that increase the propensity for crime. SCP was developed by Ronald Victor Clarke in the 1970s as a means to reduce the opportunity for crime in an action setting by carefully manipulating the situational factors that engender crime. [14]  It calls for the elimination of situational opportunities that motivate crime through intervention. Appropriate strategies to remove crime opportunities and prevent crime can thus be devised. The SCP model includes five strategies incorporating 25 techniques for crime reduction. This intervention strategy involves making crime less likely by deterring offenders and/or reducing situational actions that motivate crime. [15]  The situational prevention technique includes:

• Increasing the effort; 
• Increasing the risks;
• Reducing the rewards;
• Reducing provocation; and
• Removing excuses. [16]

This model is relevant in addressing banditry in Nigeria. It stresses the need to remove the situational factors that warrant crime, such as poorly governed spaces, transhumance, the proliferation of arms, illegal mining activities, and other poor socioeconomic conditions. To adequately prevent banditry will require increasing anti-crime efforts. This includes making the target more difficult to exploit by encouraging community policing; managing access to facilities through controlling transhumance activities; deflecting offenders by reducing the porousness of borders; and controlling tools or weapons by reducing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, as well as implementing laws to punish illicit arms dealers.

Another technique presented by SCP is to increase the risk for offenders when committing a crime. To achieve this, emphasis should be placed on extending guardianship through increased government presence in vast under-governed spaces; assisting natural surveillance through improved security; and reducing anonymity through identifying offenders and sponsors of banditry. SCP also proposes the use of messaging that communicates the government’s intolerance for crime and reward for community vigilance. This should be accompanied by the strengthening of formal surveillance, for example, through the deployment of forest guards and the use of drones to monitor activities in forests.

SCP further suggests the reduction of rewards that motivate crime. This involves discouraging illicit gold mining; converting the vast forests for government use; identifying property, for example, by branding cattle to reduce cattle rustling; disrupting markets by monitoring illicit trade hotspots; and denying benefits by desisting from paying ransoms to bandits for the release of kidnapping victims. 

Provocation must also be reduced. This involves the reduction of frustration through policies that reduce poverty, marginalisation and unemployment; the control of violent attacks and management of disputes, particularly between pastoralists and farmers; discouraging imitation by arresting and prosecuting offenders; and responding swiftly to distress calls. 

SCP also advocates for the removal of excuses for crime by implementing reasonable measures, such as granting licenses for mining activities; appealing to individuals’ conscience through messages such as ‘crime does not pay’; and discouraging drug abuse among youths.

The incidence of banditry in Nigeria is a growing phenomenon that gravely threatens human security. It is prevalent in the North West geopolitical region of the country but has the potential to expand into transnational crime. Thus, it is imperative to pay close attention to the threat. This article presented the theoretical underpinnings of SAT and SCP in relation to this threat. It established that banditry is a situational crime necessitated by the interplay of the person, setting, situation, and action. As such, banditry in Nigeria is sustained by the interaction between a person’s experience and prevailing economic realities, such as poverty and unemployment (environment or setting). It is encouraged by a weak security apparatus in large under-governed spaces, which is part of the setting, and characterised by illegal mining and cattle rustling (action).As banditry is conceived of as a situational crime, a situational solution is proposed. SCP emphasises changing the criminogenic setting that necessitates crime and reducing the situational factors for crime propensity. The government should adopt social risk management techniques to reduce poverty and vulnerability, particularly in the North. The government should also reform the security apparatus with an emphasis on increasing the size, funding, training, intelligence, support, and communication equipment of security forces. It is also recommended that the government establish its presence and make use of effective leadership in poorly governed spaces in the country. This will reduce the situational factors that compel crime and encourage the adoption of a situation-based prevention strategy.

Tope Shola Akinyetun teaches Political Science at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Lagos State, Nigeria. 

[1]  Brenner, Clair (2021) ‘Combating Banditry in Northwest Nigeria’, Available at: < https://www.americansecurityproject.org/combating-banditry-in-northwest-nigeria > [Accessed 29 July 2021].

[2]  ACAPS (2020) ‘Nigeria: Banditry and Displacement in the Northwest’, Available at: < https://www.acaps.org/sites/acaps/files/products/files/20200723_acaps_short_note_northwest_banditry_crisis_nwbc_nigeria.pdf > [Accessed 23 July 2021].

[3]  Ojo, John Sunday (2020) ‘Governing “Ungoverned Spaces” in the Foliage of Conspiracy: Toward (Re)Ordering Terrorism, from Boko Haram Insurgency, Fulani Militancy to Banditry in Northern Nigeria’,  African Security , 13(1), 77–110.

[4]  Abdulrasheed, Abdulyakeen (2020) ‘Armed Banditry and Human Security in North Western Nigeria: The Impacts and the Way Forward’,  Journal of Humanities Social and Management Sciences , 1(1), 89–107.

[5]  Uche, Jasper and Iwuamadi, Chijioke (2018) ‘Nigeria: Rural Banditry and Community Resilience in the Nimbo Community’,  Conflict Studies Quarterly , 24, 71–82.

[6]  International Crisis Group (2020) ‘Violence in Nigeria’s North West: Rolling Back the Mayhem’, Available at: < https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/288-violence-in-nigerias-north-west.pdf > [Accessed 24 July 2021].

[7]  Ogbonnaya, Maurice (2020) ‘How Illegal Mining is Driving Local Conflicts in Nigeria’, Institute for Security Studies, Available at: < https://issafrica.org/iss-today/how-illegal-mining-is-driving-local-conflicts-in-nigeria > [Accessed 28 July 2021].

[8]  ACAPS (2020) op. cit.

[9]  Wikström, Per-Olof (2019) ‘Explaining Crime and Criminal Careers: The DEA Model of Situational Action Theory’,  Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology , 6, 188–203.

[10]  Ibid, p. 193.

[11]  Centre for Analytic Criminology (2019) ‘Situational Action Theory (SAT)’, Available at: < https://www.cac.crim.cam.ac.uk/resou/sat > [Accessed 30 July 2021].

[12]  Bouhana, Noémie and Wikström, Per-Olof (2011).  Al-Qa’ida-Influenced Radicalisation: A Rapid Evidence Assessment Guided by Situational Action Theory . London: UK Home Office, pp. 21–22.

[13]  Wikström, Per-Olof (2019) op. cit.

[14]  Clarke, Ronald Victor (2005) ‘Seven Misconceptions of Situational Crime Prevention’, In Tilley, Nick (ed.),  Handbook of Crime Prevention and Community Safety . Abingdon: Routledge, p. 39.

[15]  Freilich, Joshua and Newman, Graeme (2017) ‘Situational Crime Prevention’, Available at: < https://oxfordre.com/criminology/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264079-e-3 > [Accessed 27 July 2021].

[16]  Ibid, p. 8–9.

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Cultism in Nigeria: Causes, Effects & Solutions

Cultism in Nigeria: Causes, Effects And Solutions: Just before Nigeria attained her Independence in 1960, there were a lot of activistic movements majorly projected at extinguishing the control of the colonialists over the people of Nigeria. Of course, some more than others took an amicable route of expressing their desire to see a united Nigeria as a liberated country.

Wole Soyinka was one of those who wanted Nigerians to inculcate the values of the Nigerian heritage. He was eager to see youths take pride in their roots and ultimately promote the sense of belonging and nationality. This was the main point agenda of the first ever social association (Cult group) called The Pirates Confraternity Elite of the University College, Ibadan which was formed by said Wole Soyinka in 1952.

Historically speaking, this was a step in the right direction for the Nigerian youths who were equally passionate about the nation’s freedom and the rights of her true citizens. However as the group grew so did egos and self centeredness began to grow. There was no longer unity of purpose and the main agenda was ignored by some members of the society which automatically caused the unit to split up.

Rebellious members were expelled for not conforming to the Confraternity’s standards and they formed a different association called the National Association of Seadogs around the 1970s.  Fast forward to contemporary times, the origin of all the famous secret societies is glued to the division and the consequent agenda. What was supposed to be a non violent Social Association gradually metamorphosed into sort of a militarized structure of people coupled with fiendish activities and quite basically, criminality.

As time progressed, these cult groups totally disregarded the main point agenda which was to preserve the heritage of their country and focused on protecting their own self interests. These cult groups began to proliferate in tertiary and more sadly, secondary institutions. The spread of cultism extended beyond educational institutions as the youths continued to be invested in the vile practices.

But what is the main message of any secret society? Notwithstanding how much cult groups rival against one another, the universal purpose of existence is to protect the individual interests of all members in the group by any means necessary. The unity of agenda is purely defending any member’s interest whether it will lead to destruction of lives and/or properties. How times have passed.

Now all cult groups are viewed as unholy associations of which any participation will lead to legal sanctions and prosecution. Indeed Cultism is nothing more than an organization of incubated criminals that has been outlawed whether in schools or largely this country.

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Table of Contents

Causes of Cultism in Nigeria

It is not nitpicking to say that Cultism is not an original choice for anyone to wish to participate in. The tragic part however is that there are factors that simply are not to be considered frivolous which make a person, male or female to join a secret society. Let’s examine the obvious causes:

1. Poor parental upbringing: Any child who engages in cultism is known to come from an inbalanced home. It is one of many things; Either the parents are divorced or neither parent has adequate time for their wards or the children are not properly trained, monitored or cared for.

It goes without saying that if parents play their roles properly, their children will not run into the wrong company or feel more appreciated elsewhere. They will not seek security, love and assurance from anti social associations.

2. Peer pressure: A lot of people have spoken so well about this factor. It is not possible to rule out Peer Pressure, especially when it comes to adolescents who are characteristically known to be rebellious and want to find acceptance from their peers.

Similarly, most students are forced into joining out of their unwillingness because of threats from their colleagues who are already in the system.

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3. Lack of proper Orientation for the students and the general public: Majority of those arrested for homicide, rape, armed robbery and the like are linked in some shape or form with Cultism.

This is why there’s a large troop of youths joining secret societies. It is because there is no adequate training and orientation given not only to students but the general public. Until there is enough training of students and youths in general about the dangers of Cultism, there will be a never ending practice.

4. False sense of low self esteem is another reason why youths get involved in Cultism. It is all in effort to feel amongst intimidating colleagues as a blanket to cover their insecurities.

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Effects of Cultism in Nigeria

The consequences of involvement in cult activities are endless and inevitable. Apart from the reputational damage one will suffer in a long run when he or she is easily associated with past participation in a secret society, there are more grievous ramifications. Some of which include; Destruction of lives and properties.

This is the case when rival cult groups clash leading to severe injuries or in worst case scenario, death. Not only do these killings happen among the cult groups but it leads to loss of innocent lives.

The latter usually occurs when the victim is uninterested in joining the cult group despite various demands. School activities get disrupted because of the high level of threat these criminal acts pose to the entire institution.

Eventually, this leads to a decline in academic performance of not only the students who engage in these practices but the worrying students who are constantly distabilised by possible future attacks.

They have no assurance of their safety in an institution solely established for learning. Properties are destroyed or vandalized by the cultists in a sheer display of their dissatisfaction with a policy. Staff are intimidated to do their biddings. These activities are not only restricted to schools.

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Cultism also plays heavily in the society among top influential figures. Whether in the traditional, professional or political sectors, you will find a good number of high class workers derive security in involving themselves in Cultism. How does one expect such people to discourage the practice in Schools and elsewhere?

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Possible solutions To Cultism

Finding a solution is not a problem. The question is whether the suggestions presented as solutions are close to feasible. Over the years, astute writers and speakers have intelligently opined that certain strict measures should be put in place to curb Cultism once and for all. These include legal measures, appropriate sanctions and accomplished prosecution.

Others have suggested that the school institutions should have stricter policies against cult practices. The latest suggestion known to this writer is that a special administrative tribunal should be set up to deal with matters partaining to Cultism in schools.

While these are all agreeable points, the fact is that Cultism is a crime and just like other crimes, irrespective of the laws enacted proscribing reprehensible actions, the crime rate is not on steady decrease. This does not mean that government and private persons should rest on their laurels wishing for the eradication of Cultism. It is just a reiteration of the truth in the proverb “Charity begins at home”.

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Parents and guardians should inculcate discipline in their wards. They should strictly monitor the company they keep and advise them accordingly. They should not be so liberal with their children in regards to what they watch, where they go, the schools they attend. They should also orient their children on what is morally acceptable and otherwise. This also means they should give room for their wards to be heard without overly rebuking them for sharing their thoughts and perception.

Making a youth feel as though he or she is silly with even the littlest issue will remain a relationship breaker between parents and children. It will cause the children to seek protection and assurance elsewhere even though it is an anti social association.

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Sufficient orientation should be afforded to youths across Nigeria on the dangers of Cultism. And of course, to complement it all, vocalize the ramifications of getting involved in cult group activity according to stringent measures put in place by the Government.

In this writer’s honest opinion, Cultism is a shade of terrorism. It is an internal cankerworm in the fabric of a democratic society. This is not just because it involves contrary agenda to the overall object of establishing a government which is securing the peace and welfare of its people.

It is dangerous because it claims the lives of people whether members or innocent citizens. Everyone has a part to play in curbing Cultism. The Government, School institutions, Parents or Guardians, Academic Staff and the youths themselves can greatly contribute to achieving what many consider impossible.

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It may be far fetched to curb Cultism once and for all but if we all act according to our abilities, whether in vehemently writing or speaking against it or in exercising a higher power to silence those who are engaged, it will go a long way to bring it to an end. What we are witnessing is fairly newsworthy.

The Government and Institutions are enacting laws and regulations respectively to curb the menace. Other Orientation programmes have been on a fast track to deter youths involved to continue and those not yet in it to avoid the temptation.

One thing is certain; even those who do these unimaginable acts are young, vibrant and quite honestly, significant to the social growth and development of a society. The Government should provide job opportunities to the deserving youths and place them in comfortable roles. That will be an indication that there is always an alternative to wrong doing and there is no profit in doing what will endanger you and your fellow human beings. Will Cultism end? There is always the possibility.

Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.

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1 thought on “Cultism in Nigeria: Causes, Effects & Solutions”

Thank,nice and good

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Transparency is unique to our company and for my writing essay services. You will get to know everything about 'my order' that you have placed. If you want to check the continuity of the order and how the overall essay is being made, you can simply ask for 'my draft' done so far through your 'my account' section. To make changes in your work, you can simply pass on your revision to the writers via the online customer support chat. After getting ‘my’ initial draft in hand, you can go for unlimited revisions for free, in case you are not satisfied with any content of the draft. We will be constantly there by your side and will provide you with every kind of assistance with our best essay writing service.

Remember, the longer the due date, the lower the price. Place your order in advance for a discussion post with our paper writing services to save money!

"Essay - The Challenges of Black Students..."

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Progressive delivery is highly recommended for your order. This additional service allows tracking the writing process of big orders as the paper will be sent to you for approval in parts/drafts* before the final deadline.

What is more, it guarantees:

• 30 days of free revision;
• A top writer and the best editor;
• A personal order manager.

* You can read more about this service here or please contact our Support team for more details.

It is a special offer that now costs only +15% to your order sum!

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