It is disheartening to see the most populous black nation on our planet being troubled by the nefarious activities of banditry and terrorism. Nigeria is the capital of all black nations, blessed with abundant natural resources. However, some of the arrested bandits and terrorists in Nigeria have claimed that poverty and unemployment are their motivations for kidnapping for ransom, terrorism and the evil practices of dealing with human body parts for money rituals.
The ability of the Nigerian leaders to manage both human and natural resources has proven to be a challenge. For instance, crude oil has been viewed by many as a resource curse, that has generated enormous problems, especially in the Niger-Delta region. Corruption and inequality in the distribution of wealth and lack of formulation and implementation of better policies to create employment and other opportunities have contributed to the emergence of banditry and terrorism in the country. However, the Nigerian government and the citizenry’s over-reliance on the military’s actions in defeating banditry and terrorism in Nigeria is worth re-examining.
This approach of over-reliance on military action in fighting banditry and terrorism is not the cure for nefarious activists. There is a need to address the root causes of the banditry and terrorist activities in Nigeria: Unemployment and poverty, lack of education, poor socio-amenities, huge gaps between the government and the people, and biasedly fighting against corruption are just a few of the root causes to be addressed in defeating banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.
The high level of unemployment in Nigeria can be linked to rising poverty levels in the country. The National Bureau of Statistics reported in 2021 that unemployment in Nigeria was about 33.3 per cent and still rising. Some argue that unemployment amongst Nigerian youths is almost double that amount. Some might argue that this problem was fuelled by global inflation, which can be linked to the negative effects of COVID-19 on the global economy, and more recently, the Russia-Ukraine war. Creating jobs for Nigerians, especially the youth, is a solution to the banditry challenges in Nigeria, as most of them are unemployed youths.
Student dropouts are a contributing factor to Nigerian terrorist groups. It is not only the responsibility of the Nigerian government to ensure that children attend the compulsory education as stipulated by law, but also the responsibility of parents and guardians to ensure that children attend school. However, the government should hold parents and guardians accountable for children that don’t attend school and address the reasons for student dropout rates. In addition, teacher strikes not only affect the student but also the security of the country, as not all students will go back to school after the strike. Student dropouts have become instrumental to banditry, kidnapping and terrorism. Strengthening our educational system will help to address the issues of banditry and terrorism in the country.
Infrastructure deficits in Nigeria, especially in the construction of roads and rails, are now being improved. Still, the Nigerian government are required to do more, such as providing constant electricity and clean water. Communities should not have to contribute money to purchase electric poles, cables and transformers—this is the sole responsibility of the government to supply basic public goods. Citizens will respect and be loyal to a government that performs its responsibilities. Gaining this respect, trust and morale from citizens through provisions of social infrastructural will further solve the problem of banditry and terrorism in the country.
There are gaps between the Nigerian government and the Nigerian citizenry, particularly, the youths. Even the local government, which should serve as a direct voice for the local people, still seems so far away. For instance, the Boko-Haram in North-East Nigeria were able to employ our youths, because the government is too far from its people. The #EndSARS protest in 2020 is another indication that the government is too far from common Nigerians. Bridging the gap between the government and the people will provide information that will be useful to law enforcement officers in curtailing the activities of banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.
It is important to state that fighting corruption should be impartial and should not be manipulated for any reason. When citizens feel that their government is corrupt and one-sided and that their leaders are living flamboyantly, while the average Nigerian is struggling to find employment, access public goods or send their children to school, they will have the tendency to revolt against the government and engage in criminal activities such as banditry and terrorism. No matter how many trillions of dollars are spent on military equipment, military action alone will never be effective if these solutions are not addressed.
- Abiodun R. Oseni, a US Service member and former US police officer, writes from the United States of America
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