Insurgence, Banditry and Secessionist Movements in Nigeria: A Complex Web of Threats

Abstract

Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation, faces a multitude of interconnected security challenges, including insurgency, banditry, and secessionist movements. These issues pose major threats to national security, stability, and development. This research explores and analyze the complex interplay of these forces, highlighting their diverse motivations, regional variations, devastating impacts and exacerbate each other, creating a complex security web. Insurgency, spearheaded by groups like Boko Haram in the northeast, often employs violence and terror to achieve ideological goals like establishing an Islamic caliphate. Banditry, particularly prevalent in the northwest, involves armed gangs engaging in cattle rustling, kidnapping, and extortion, fueled by poverty, unemployment, weak law enforcement, porous borders, weak governance, and proliferation of small arms. Secessionist movements, like those advocating for an independent Biafra in the southeast, stem from historical and political grievances, perceived marginalization, lack of trust in government and aspirations for self-determination. The study made use of largely secondary materials which included textbooks, journals, newspapers and internet. The study adopted the failed state and Human Need theory as the model of analysis. The methodology of the study is qualitative research design of descriptive survey. The inability of leaders to provide good democratic governance therefore was responsible for these menaces in the country. These menace will continue to impede the political, social and economic activities of the country. It is on this note that this research submits that until good democratic governance is put in place with security agencies well remunerated and trained with modern technological ammunitions, internal security cannot be guaranteed.