Unknown gunmen and insecurity in Nigeria: Dancing on the brink of state fragility

• Autorzy: Akinyetun Tope Shola , Ebonine Victor Chukwugekwu , Ambrose Iyase Osariyekemwen

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.35467/sdq/163462

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

There is a compelling need to address the protracted and recurring multidimensional insecurity in Nigeria. The prevalence of insecurity in the country is multipronged and caught in a cyclic web. Insecurity in Nigeria comprises insurgency, killer herdsmen, extrajudicial killings, ethnoreligious conflict, armed robbery, militancy, banditry, cybercrime and attacks by unknown gunmen, among other things. The incidence of attacks by unknown gunmen is pervasive and symptomatic of a fragile state where the government’s monopoly of force is challenged and where marginalisation, crises and contested spaces are ubiquitous. The thrust of this paper is that the menace of unknown gunmen is pervasive and threatens to plunge Nigeria into a cesspit of fragility. The argument is predicated on the conceptual and theoretical suppositions of a fragile state. To this end, the paper adopts the documentary method of data collection and uses qualitative descriptive analysis to expound on the phenomenon. The findings reveal that the words unknown gunmen – terminology that is used to describe the spate of insecurity in the country – are a bane to peaceful coexistence. The paper also shows that the insecurity caused by these armed attacks and other forms of threat is emblematic of a fragile state. Consequently, policy recommendations – state-building and peace-building – are proffered.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

conflict; fragility; insecurity; state legitimacy; unknown gunmen

• Wydawca: Akademia Sztuki Wojennej
• Czasopismo: Security and Defence Quarterly
• Rocznik: 2023
• Tom: Vol. 42, No. 2
• Strony: 16--34
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 42 poz., tab.

Twórcy

autor

Akinyetun Tope Shola

• Department of Political Science, Lagos State University of Education, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, 102101, Lagos, Nigeria

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1906-3410

autor

Ebonine Victor Chukwugekwu

• Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Benin, Lagos-Benin Expressway, Ugbowo, Benin City, 300214, Nigeria

• https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7542-6864

autor

Ambrose Iyase Osariyekemwen

• Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Benin, Lagos-Benin Expressway, Ugbowo, Benin City, 300214, Nigeria

• https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4925-4953

Bibliografia

• 1. Abdullahi M. (2022) ‘What we know about Nigeria separatist group’s weapons stockpile’, HumAngle, June 6. Available at: https://humanglemedia.com/what-we-know-about-nigeria-separatist-groups-weapons-stockpile/ (Accessed: 10 September 2022).
• 2. ACLED (2022) Nigeria election violence tracker, ACLED. Available at: https://public.tableau.com/shared/JHRPQPJQ3?:display_count=y&:origin=viz_share_link&:embed=y (Accessed: 17 November 2022).
• 3. Akinyetun T.S. (2016) ‘Staff to gun: Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria’, Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 4(8), pp. 38–44.
• 4. Akinyetun T.S. and Bakare K.M. (2020) ‘Identity crises and national development in Africa: An exploratory example of Nigeria and Sudan’, International Journal of Political Science and Development, 8(1), pp. 1–14. doi: 10.14662/IJPSD2020.010.
• 5. Akpan S. (2021) ‘IPOB: We don’t buy arms – We produce them locally’, The Cable. Available at: https://.thecable.ng/ipob-we-dont-buy-arms-we-produce-them-locally (Accessed: 04 August 2022).
• 6.Amnesty International (2016) Nigeria: ‘Bullets were raining everywhere’: Deadly repression of pro-Biafra activists. AFR 44/5211/2016. Available at: https://.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AFR4452112016ENGLISH.pdf (Accessed: 17 November 2022).
• 7. Campbell J. (2013) Nigeria: Dancing on the brink. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
• 8. Channels TV (2021) Unknown gunmen are not unknown, they are our people from the East – Umahi. [Video], June 1. Available at: https://.youtube.com/watch?v=hbQWBkQqPbc (Accessed: 04 August 2022).
• 9. Chauvet L., Collier P. and Hoeffler A. (2007) The cost of failing states and the limits to sovereignty. UNU-WIDER Research Paper No.30. Helsinki: UNU.
• 10. Collier P. (2007) The bottom billion: Why the poorest countries are failing and what can be done about it. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• 11. Conflict Armament Research (2020) Nigeria’s herder-farmer conflict. London: CAR. Available at: https://.conflictarm.com/download-file/?report_id=3108&file_id=3148 (Accessed: 10 September 2022).
• 12. Fragile State Index (2022) Global data. Available at: https://fragilestatesindex.org/global-data/ (Accessed: 17 November 2022).
• 13. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (2021) ‘Multi-stakeholder consultative forum on the attacks on security institutions in South-East, Nigeria’, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Available at: https://pscc.fes.de/fileadmin/user_upload/images/publications/Pub_FES-Policy-Brief_An_analysis_of_the_evolving_patterns_of_insecurity_in_the_southeast.pdf (Accessed: 04 August 2022).
• 14. Igboin B.O. (2021) ‘Ungoverned or alternatively governed spaces in North-Eastern Nigeria’, in Handbook of Islamic sects and movements. Leiden: Brill, pp. 421-444. doi: 10.1163/9789004435544_023.
• 15. Ikem N. (2022) ‘Blame insecurity in South East on marginalisation – Ex Enugu Perm Sec’, The Sun, May 5. Available at: https://.sunnewsonline.com/blame-insecurity-in-south-east-on-marginalisation-ex-enugu-perm-sec/ (Accessed: 10 September 2022).
• 16. Ikuomola A.D. (2019) ‘ Social (In) security and internal security management in Nigeria’, in Oshita O.O., Alumona I.M., Onuoha F.C (eds), Internal security management in Nigeria. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 611–632. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-8215-4_27.
• 17. Iloh E.C. and Nwokedi M.E. (2019) ‘ Non-state actors and internal security management in Nigeria: The case of vigilante groups’, in Oshita O.O., Alumona I.M., Onuoha F.C (eds), Internal security management in Nigeria. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 523–545. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-8215-4_23.
• 18. Imade L.O. (2013) Nigeria. Review of the book Nigeria: Dancing on the brink, by J. Campbell. MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Available at: https://.cfr.org/book/niger... (Accessed: 4 August 2022).
• 19. Independent (2021) ‘Senator decries shortage of personnel in fighting security challenge’, Independent, May 18. Available at: https://independent.ng/senator-decries-shortage-of-personnel-in-fighting-security-challenge/ (Accessed: 4 August 2022).
• 20. Itumo A., Nwobashi H. and Offor E. (2018) ‘Marginalization of the Igbo people in Nigerian state: Myth or reality?’, Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 26(4), pp. 395–409. doi: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2018.395.409.
• 21. Lederach J. and Mansfield K. (n.d.) What is strategic peacebuilding? Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Available at: https://kroc.nd.edu/about-us/what-is-peace-studies/what-is-strategic-peacebuilding/ (Accessed: 4 August 2022).
• 22. London School of Economics (2018) Escaping the fragility trap. London School of Economics & Political Science. Available at: https://.theigc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Escaping-the-fragility-trap.pdf (Accessed: 10 September 2022).
• 23. Mcloughlin C. (2012) Topic guide on fragile states. Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, Birmingham, University of Birmingham, UK.
• 24. Nanlong M. (2021) Insecurity: I don’t want to hear of unknown gunmen again, says Lalong. Vanguard, June 21. Available at: https://.vanguardngr.com/2021/06/insecurity-i-dont-want-to-hear-of-unknown-gunmen-again-says-lalong/ (Accessed: 16 July 2022).
• 25. Nda-Isaiah J. (2021) ‘Reign of the unknown gunmen’, The Cable, June 3. Available at: https://.thecable.ng/reign-of-the-unknown-gunmen (Accessed: 16 July 2022).
• 26. Ndukwe D. (2022) ‘Again, police raid IPOB ESN camp, recover sophisticated weapons in Enugu’, PRNigeria, August 16. Available at: https://prnigeria.com/2022/08/16/again-police-raid-ipob-esn/ (Accessed: 4 August 2022).
• 27. Nigeria-South African Chamber of Commerce (2021, April 8) Security challenges in Nigeria and the implications, NSACC. Available at: https://nsacc.org.ng/security-challenges-in-nigeria-and-the-implications-for-business-activities-and-sustainable-development/ (Accessed: 16 July 2022).
• 28. Njoku L. and Ogugbuaja C. (2021) ‘Inside story of arson, killings as unknown gunmen terrorise South East’, The Guardian, May 1. Available at: https://guardian.ng/saturday-magazine/cover/inside-story-of-arson-killings-as-unknown-gunmen-terrorise-southeast/ (Accessed: 10 September 2022).
• 29. Odigbo J.O. (2019) ‘Grazing conundrum: Herdsmen-farmers conflict and internal security crisis in Nigeria’, in Oshita O.O., Alumona I.M., Onuoha F.C (eds), Internal security management in Nigeria. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 99–121. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-8215-4_6.
• 30. OECD-DAC (2008) State-building in situations of fragility: Initial findings. Paris: OECD-DAC.
• 31. Okoli A.C. and Nnabuihe O.E. (2019) ‘Communal conflicts in central Nigeria: A political ecology perspective’, in Oshita O.O., Alumona I.M., Onuoha F.C (eds), Internal security management in Nigeria. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 123–137 doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-8215-4_7.
• 32. Oladopo S., Aladejebi D. and Ayeni A. (2021) ‘The porous border on Nigeria economics and security implications’, Randwick International of Social Sciences Journal, 2(3), pp. 335–340. doi: 10.47175/rissj.v2i3.276.
• 33. Onuoha F.C. and Okolie-Osemene J. (2019) ‘The evolving threat of kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria’, in Oshita O.O., Alumona I.M., Onuoha F.C (eds), Internal security management in Nigeria. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 233-257. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-8215-4_12.
• 34. Onwubiko O. and Ugorji N. (2022) ‘The politics of marginalization in Nigeria: Challenges of the 4th Republic’, University of Nigeria Journal of Political Economy, 12(1), pp. 36–53. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.6987207.
• 35. Osaghae E. (2007) ‘Fragile states’, Development in Practice, 17(4/5), pp. 691–699. doi: 10.1080/09614520701470060.
• 36. Payne L. and Islamic Relief. (2020) Introduction to peacebuilding: An Islamic relief practitioners’ guide. Stockholm: Islamic Relief Sweden.
• 37. Sahara Reporters (2022) Sit-at-home: We know where criminals called unknown gunmen are, they are not agitators – Governor Soludo, May 6. Available at: https://saharareporters.com/2022/05/06/sit-home-we-know-where-criminals-called-unknown-gunmen-are-they-are-not-agitators-%E2%80%93 (Accessed: 17 November 2022).
• 38. Security Peace and Development (2021) ‘Gunmen era’, Nextier SPD. Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/gunmen-era (Accessed: 10 September 2022).
• 39. Tonwe D.A. and Eke S.J. (2013) ‘State fragility and violent uprisings in Nigeria: The case of Boko Haram’, African Security Review, 22(4), pp. 232–243. doi: 10.1080/10246029.2013.838794.
• 40. Ugwu C. (2022) ‘Nnamdi Kanu seeks to join suit challenging IPOB’s proscription’, Premium Times, October 12. Available at: https://.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/559295-nnamdi-kanu-seeks-to-join-suit-challenging-ipobs-proscription.html (Accessed: 4 August 2022).
• 41. Uzoagu I.F. (2022) ‘Socio-economic marginalization and youth restiveness, impact on community development in Nigeria’, International Journal of Education, Learning and Development, 10(6), pp. 1–12. doi: 10.37745/ijeld.2013/vol10n6pp112.
• 42. World Bank (2007) ‘Millennium Development Goals: Confronting the challenges of gender equality and fragile states’. Washington, DC: World Bank. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/309311468324011934/pdf/394730GMR02007.

Uwagi

Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MEiN, umowa nr SONP/SP/546092/2022 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2022-2023).