ETHNIC MILITIA AND THE NIGERIAN SECURITY QUESTION

By

AMEH, EmmanuelDept. of Sociology

Kwararafa University Wukari.evensma@yahoo.com

08039369147&

ADOKO, Owoicho EmmanuelDept. of Sociology

Kwararafa University Wukariowoichoadoko@yahoo.com

08064885798&

OGWOLA, Robert IdokoDept. of Public AdministrationKwararafa University Wukari.

08032716828.

Abstract

The study sets out to examine the issue of ethnic militiain Nigeria today and the security question. To this end,a few objectives were set out, they include: To examinefactors that have contributed to the rise of ethnicmilitias in Nigeria, examine their origins andactivities, including implications of such, and suggest away forward in the battle to bring an end to suchoccurrences in the future. In a bid to achieve these, aparticular methodology was adopted-the use of secondarydata including textbooks, newspapers and the internet andprimary data through in-depth interview. The majorfindings suggest that the rise of ethnic militias inNigeria is as a result of marginalization and economicexploitation, alongside complacency on the part ofgovernment in the fight against corruption. As asolution, it is recommended that policy makers in Nigeria

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treat every other Nigerians equally and approach thebattle against corruption with sincerity and doggedness,without fear or favour; among others.

Introduction

In contemporary times, the world over is seen to be going

through difficult period engendered by security threats

2

from different militant group, such as al Qaeda, Taliban,

al Shabab, and other extreme Islamist groups that have

threatened the peace and tranquillity hitherto enjoyed by

citizens of many nations states the threat posed by

militant groups is seen to be a global phenomenon with

terrible impact on life, health, social development; to

mention but few.

Nigeria as a country has got its own share of the evil

resulting from activities of militant groups, these

groups have root and links to ethnicity hence, the

nomenclature ethnic militia. The atrocities been wrought

on the nation by them are enormous; worthy of mention are

militia groups such as the Egbesu Boys in the south-south

the movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta

(MEND), and other splinter militia groups who profess to

be driven by the same agenda, O’odua Peoples’ Congress

(OPC) in the south west the movement for the

actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra, south

east the Ombatse cult in the middle belt, Boko haram and

the Fulani herdsmen in the north.

3

The mayhem caused by these lawless human have continued

unabated in Nigeria over

a long period of time that one wonders if they can ever

be put to an end or is it now a

norm for Nigerians to shed blood without cause. But this

does not seem to be the case

as we find that the government from time to time rise

against these enemies

of the peace of the state to curtail their excesses and

nip them in the bud. However,

despite the efforts of government in trying to bring down

the level of insecurity in the

nation, one still finds that these unscrupulous elements

continue to unleash their

satanic blows on innocent Nigerians leaving most of the

populace at a loss with regard

to the way forward. It is in the height of the above that

this present work seeks to

examine ethnic militia and the Nigerian security

question. The core issues it seeks to

address are :

4

To examine reason and factors that have contributed

to the rise of ethnic militias, their activities in

contemporary Nigeria and their implications

To examine the origins of ethnic militias, their

activities in contemporary Nigeria and their

implications

To suggest a pay forward in the battle to bring to

an end the nefarious activities of these armed

bandits.

The work will embody the following: theoretical

explanations of the incidence of

ethnic militias and its implication for the security of

nigeria ; the history of ethnic

militias and their bearing on the nation’s security,

factors that have contributed to the

rise of ethnic militias and their implications for the

Nigerian state, conclusion and

recommendations.

Theoretical Framework

5

Theories are said to be an explanation of a problem

(Ubwa, 2003). Haralambos, Heald

and Holborn(2008) conceive of a theory as a set of ideas

that provides an explanation

for something the issue at hand is structural in nature

and so deserves macro rather

than micro explanation. To this end, the work employs the

use of two major macro

sociological theories – functionalism and conflict

theories to explain the reasons for

the rise of ethnic militias in Nigeria and their role in

the security of the nation.

Functionalism

This framework considers society as a system. By that, it

views the society as

comprised of various part or units which are

interconnected or interrelated and also

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interdependent. It views the society as the basic unit of

analysis and they are

understood in recognition of their relationship to the

whole. This viewpoint drew

inspiration from human body which has severe organs such

as the heart, lungs, eyes

among other, these are considered in terms of their

relationship to other organs and

more importantly their contribution towards the

maintenance of ethnic militias would

be based on the need for them, that is, in terms of their

contribution to the society. The

view point holds that the society, just like every living

organisms have some basic

needs it must satisfy in order to continue to survive

(Haralambos et al, 2008).

These basic needs spoken of above are in the views of

functionalists what they call

functional prerequisites, among these functional

perquisites in society today is the

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need for security. It is a major need that must be met if

members of the society will

live in peace and tranquillity and also for the society

to survive and develop.

The focus of functionalism has been on how social systems

are maintained. This is

usually considered in the light of positive evaluation of

the contribution of those units

saddled with the responsibility of performing role- that

is, how well they performed,

but such contribution may not always be functional some

other times they are

dysfunctional, connoting unintended consequences for the

establishment of those

units.

In this regard a major reason for the rise of ethnic

militias in Nigeria is for the purpose of providing

additional security of life and property, and complement

the operations of the conventional law enforcement

agencies in combating crime in their various communities

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(Oronsaye and Igbafi, 2012).the need for them is

predicated on in the fact that various areas of Nigeria

have being experiencing an abysmal in the old increase in

the rates of crime over the years some communities had to

set up own militia groups to forestall incessant invasion

from other communities, so that preservation of the

security of the people inform the need of creation some

militia groups. In line with this view, Ajayi[ 2007]

asserts that the formation and operation of self-

determination groups in Nigeria are not a novel

phenomenon; they actually date back to the pre-colonial

days when many local communities in Nigeria maintained

warrior groups comprising of able bodied young men from

specific age grade, who not only engage the in order from

neighbouring communities, but also enforce law and order

and impose sanctions within their own domain.it was a bid

to boosts security this way that some militia are groups

formed an example is the Bakassi Boys formed in the 1999

to curtail criminal activities in some parts of the

southeast of Nigeria.

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The O’odua people congress [OPC] also is a militia group

formed on the basis of not only integrating the

aspirations and values of all the descendants of Oduduwa

but also to provide vigilante services. However ,the

activities of these groups are not always conducted in

accordance with the norm upon which they were

established. Sometime the same people they are supposed

to protect become victims of their highhandedness and in

such situations, their activities have become

dysfunctional. It in is light of the above that Oronsaye

and Igbafe [2012] note thus: sadly, these groups which

started basically as associations to pursue the interests

of their people and to provide protection and safety for

the local citizens have transformed in different ways and

have become thorns in the flesh of not only those they

seek or claim to protect but also to many Nigerians.

Furthermore, Ajayi [2007] contends that the militia

indeed fulfilled the roles of security to the live and

property effectively for a while; bringing relief to the

vast majority of the people from the menace of armed

robbery. Ironically, the same masses they [the ethnic

10

militias] were, supposed to protect later became the

victims, getting killed and burnt up by the militias in

their intra-ethnic feuds.

As noted above some of these militia groups were formed

on the premise of providing security to people so that

peace can prevail and there will be a conducive

atmosphere for development to take place, but the

unintended in most cases have overtaken the objective

that necessitated their formation. We find that as soon

they take firm roots, they begin to see themselves as

being above the laws of the land. The unintended becomes

their direction, they constitute terrors in the society

as they shift their focus from pursuing the objective

that predicates their establishment and rather instates a

reign of criminal violence. From this functionalist

explanation, one finds that it is the need to pursue the

functional prerequisite of provision of additional

security to the live and property of members of society

that at the outset underline the establishment of some

ethnic militia groups. However, as can be seen from the

11

discourse above, these groups are not always functional,

that is, performing the roles for which they were created

these activities for as they act negatively against the

dysfunction for which they were established. This way,

the functionalist perspective offers some explanation for

the rise of some, not all types of ethnic militia, just

those that are established on the premise of providing

security for the people. We now turn to a perspective for

explanation of the rise of other ethnic militia groups

and in this respect, the conflict perspective is

favoured.

Conflict Theory.

The conflict theory also adopts the structural approach

as functionalism. It also conceives of the society as

made up of parts [groups] but in a way that is different

from functionalist view of society, these groups are not

seen as working harmoniously to maintain the whole but

rather they are seen as having different interests, as a

result, conflict theories believes that social

12

arrangements in the society tend to benefit some groups

at the experience of others. Because of different

interests inform behaviour, there is the tendency for

conflict as the different groups pursuing their different

interests are likely to clash. This does not mean that

the different groups in society are in a perpetual state

of conflict as there are some significant periods of

truce but the fact still remains that, because of the

different interests being pursued by the different

groups, conflicts remains inevitable. [Haralambos etal;

2008]. The hallmark of conflict theory is the emphasis on

competition rather than cooperation between, the

different groups and interests that make up the society.

The Marxist approach to conflict explanations views the

economic substructure or base as the infrastructure that

determines the supper-primary influence and largely

shapes other aspects of in society has in the

contradiction inherent in the process of economic

production. At a point when the means of production and

the products of labour were communally owned, people

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produced both for themselves and for the society. At this

point, there were no conflicts of interest between

individuals and groups; however, the contradiction was

created when individual ownership of the means of

production replaced communal ownership. As it is, the

minority in society.[in terms of number] own and control

the means of production and by that enjoy the fruit of

the labour of the majority whereas, the labour of the

majority is exploited in the production process without

commensurate reward. This sort of explanation makes

people get agitated and in the process, conflict ensues.

Just like we have economic subjugation in the production

process, so we also have political exploitation and

marginalization of the less powerful individuals and

groups by the powerful.it is in reaction to this that we

hear of individuals groups crying out against explanation

and political marginalization. So just like the

functionalists will predicate the rise of ethnic militias

on the need to boost security by providing security to

the people, this perspective would predicate the need for

ethnic militias on the need to curtail the excesses of

14

the exploiters. In respect of the above, virtually all

the regions in Nigeria talk of marginalization and

domination.in the view of Oronsaya and Igbafi [2012], for

the Niger Delta people-in the south-south of Nigeria, the

talk is about economic exploitation and environmental

degradation, For the Igbos it is political

marginalization, for the Hausa-Fulani, it is uneven

development, the northern minorities in the Middle-Belt

talks of internal colonialism, and for the Yoruba it is

power exclusion. This being the case, we find everybody

demanding empowerment on the basis of one assumption or

the other. for example, the O’odua Peoples Congress in

the views of Oronsaye and Igbafi was formed for the

purpose of integrating the aspirations and values of all

the descendants of oduduwa-that is the Yoruba people

[which today has been extended to the it Itshekiri]

mainly because they felt been denied the right and

opportunity to be in power when the June 12, 1993

election believed to have been won by MKO Abiola was

annulled by the Babangida administration. In the same

light as the above, the movement for the actualization of

15

the Sovereign State of Biafra [MASSOB] the majority

militia group for the Igbo people of southeast Nigeria

was formed because of the feeling of marginalization.

This feeling of marginalization dates back to the civil

war between 1967-70, the people feel completely alienated

from the rest of Nigeria since then. Talking on

marginalization, Obianyo [2007], explained that

marginalization is the deliberate disempowerment of a

group of people in the federation politically,

economically, socially and militarily by another group or

group, who during the relevant time frame wielded power

and controlled the allocation of materials and financial

resources at the centre of the federation. He noted

further that ‘’it entails the apparent deliberate

exclusion of any particular group[s]by other similar

group or groups from either having access to, and or

taking due possession of common key position and common

resources as manifested in the political, economic,

military, educational, media and bureaucratic realms.

Along These lines of thought, some Members of the igbo

community feel they are marginalized and look for a

16

Messaiah to liberate them from the shackles of

oppression, hence the formation of the MASSOB.

In the middle belt some groups feel a particular group

colonises them as power continues to rotate within them

and never going to the other groups .this is reflective

of what obtains in Benue state, that the Idoma have not

formed a militia group to fight this marginalization and

neo-colonialism by the Tiv speaks of how peace loving

they are, because the same is not true of other

neighbours, an instance can be taken from the situation

in neighbouring Nasarawa state where some set of the

Eggon, feeling a sense of marginalization and colonialism

in their own land had formed the ombatse cult-a militia

group of the Eggon nation to ensure that they pick the

next position of Governor of state. The Hausa-Fulani have

decried uneven development and in a bid to fight against

this, a section of them have come together to form the

Boko- haram group. Also, today, the Fulani in a bid to

have freedom in pasturing their cattle wherever they want

have formed a militia of Fulani herdsmen that has been

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terrorizing state as Plateau, Kaduna, Benue among others.

In the same way, the movement for the Emancipation of the

Niger Delta [MEND] seeks to liberate the land from

economic exploitation and environmental degradation.

Looking therefore at the issue carefully, one finds that

the conflict of interests, which breeds competition,

exploitation and marginalization is largely responsible

for the formation of several ethnic militia groups in

Nigeria. Also, the agenda which they seek to achieve had

always informed the pattern of their activities which

have been so atrocious to the rest of Nigeria. Conflict

theory then offers some explanation for the rise of some

ethnic militia groups in Nigeria.

Data Collection

Data collection for this work was done through two major

sources: secondary and primary. Secondary data were got

from textbooks, newspapers and the internet secondly;

primary data were also collected mainly through in-depth

18

interview with a few individuals that have some

understanding on the issue being discussed.

Activities of Ethnic Militias in Contemporary Nigeria.

It should be noted here that the activities of ethnic

militias in Nigeria in recent years have been so enormous

that it become difficult to completely document them.

The emphasis of the world is also not on a documentation

of the array of activities in Nigeria but rather on an

attempt to proffer some workable solution to the threats

posed by them. Thus, it will suffice for one to do a

summary of the activities of these groups in recent

times’

In the south-south of Nigeria, ethnic militia insurgency

is championed by the movement for the Emancipation of the

Niger-Delta (MEND) who posits that they have a mandate to

liberate their land from economic exploitation and

environmental degradation. This group was headed by Mr

Henry Okah and Jomo Gbomo as spokesman. Apart from the

MEND, other splinter groups are spread over the region,

notably among them are the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer

19

Force, under the leadership of Asari Dokubo, the Niger

Delta Vigilante, an ethnic Ijaw militia headed by Ateke

Tom, among others (Wikipedi, 2014). All of them claim to

be driven by the same agenda that drives the MEND. The

havoc wrecked on the Nigerian nation and her people. Over

the years are just beyond count, more so that many of

their atrocities never came to the fore in a way of

summary, they were involved in attacks on Nigeria’s oil

installations, especially those owned and controlled by

the expatriate Multi-National Corporations (MNCs). Their

activities included sabotage, theft, property

destruction, guerrilla warfare and kidnapping (Wikipedia,

2011). During the heat of their activities, dozens of

indigenous expatriate workers and particularly foreign

nationals and security personnel attached the MNCs were

kidnapped and ransom demands made and paid, (Ikelegbe,

2005) while many whose relatives could not afford the

ransom were killed. They did not only stop at the

activities noted above, in their quest to bring to her

knees; they stepped up their activities to other areas

including Abuja where they disrupted the 50th Independence

20

Day Celebration at Eagle Square Abuja as they detonated

two cars laden with bombs on October 1st, 2010 and by that

entrenched the era of bomb blasts in Nigeria (Wikipedia,

2014).

It is true that in 2011, many of these militants laid

down their arms as they claimed to embrace the amnesty

offered them by the then President Umaru Musa Yar-Adua.

However, even since then, it is only the intensity of

Militant activities that have reduced as they continue

till today with their nefarious activities. In the South

West, the O’odua People’s Congress seems to be the force

to reckon with. At inception they professed to work

towards the unity, progress and autonomy of all Oduduwa

descendants but in 1999, the OPC changed its fundamental

objectives from seeking self-determination for Yoruba

people to crime fighting activities and settlement of

personal disputes. As a result of this change in focus,

the OPC became enlisted among the other militia groups in

the country known for violence and crime. They have

been involved in a series of armed attacks and mass

21

murders against other ethnic groups living in the South-

West of Nigeria, particularly in Lagos (Nigeria First,

2003).

Till today, the activities of this group have continued,

only that it has reduced significantly in intensity,

Frederick Fasehun is known to be their founder and

leader.

In the South-East, there are two major ethnic militia

groups: the Movement for the Actualization of the

Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Bakassi Boys.

The MASSOB has a mandate of liberating the Igbo Community

from the acclaimed marginalization it suffers at the

hands of the Nigerian State. In their quest to achieve

their aims, they had frequently clashed with personnel o

the law enforcement agencies leading to deaths on their

part and on that of the agents of law enforcement. They

had also taken reprisal attacks against northerners

sometimes when there were killings involving the Igbos in

the North.

22

The Bakassi Boys on their own part, initially actually

succeeded in reducing armed robbery in the region to a

level not dreamed of. But they later on replaced what

they displaced with another form of criminal violence

which they champion; they are used as political things

and have become puppets in the hands of desperate

politicians. They have also been used to kill members of

other ethnic group (Harnischfeger, 2003).

Recently in 2003, there arose a group known as the

Ombatse Cult; a militia group based in, Alakiyo, close to

Lafia in Nasarawa State. They represent the major

militia group yet in the middle-belt region of Nigeria,

one formed by some Eggon people. The group claimed the

killing of over 80 Nigerian Security Personnel drawn from

the regular Police, the Mobile Police and State Security

Service (SSS) on May 7, 2013. It claims to be a

spiritual cult of the Eggon people (Godwin Tsa 2013); out

for the production of an Eggon governor for the State.

This group have also been involved in clashes with other

groups in the State especially the Alago.

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The Boko-haram insurgency in the North is about the worst

Nigeria had seen till date apart from the Civil war.

This group has been responsible for so many deaths

through means including bombings, suicide bombings,

shootouts with security Personnel, barracks attacks,

ambushes, road blocks to mention a few. They do not

restrict their to just the hot spots of Borno, Yobe and

Adamawa states but they have extended their criminal

activities to almost every States in the North, only that

the enormity may not be as much as it is in the hot

spots. Even with the ‘State of emergency’ declared their

insurgency has continued accounting for the deaths of

over 1200 Nigerian for a period of about 8 months –may

2013 – January 2014 (BBC News, 12/01/2014). This

insurgency as every Nigerian is aware is on-going. The

‘Ansaru’ had been an offshoot of Boko haram and they have

almost worked together all the while pursuing the same

agenda.

24

In addition to these, they Fulani herdsmen had risen in

several parts of the middle-belt especially, Plateau,

Benue and some parts of Nasarawa States; including Kaduna

killing and maiming Nigerians in a bid to have freedom to

graze without hindrances. All these insurgencies and

criminality that have bedevilled Nigeria beg for

solution. In a bid to proffer solutions, we now turn to

adducing factors that have contributed to the rise of

ethnic militancy in Nigeria.

Factors That Have Contributed to the Rise of Ethnic

Militias In Nigeria

As the saying goes, ‘there is no smoke without fire’, the

rise of ethnic militias in Nigeria have been influenced

by some factors. Worthy of note among them are the

following:

1. Feeling of marginalization and economic exploitation

2. Corruption and Impunity

3. Inadequate expert training

4. Lack of will to enforce territorial security

25

5. Lack of Unity in the battle against insurgencies

feelings of marginalization, economic exploitation

and uneven development.

The feeling of marginalization has wielded some strong

influence on the rise of ethnic militia groups in

Nigeria. As noted earlier, the MASSOB became established

on the feeling that the Ibos had been marginalized in the

scheme of things in Nigeria after the Civil war. The OPC

which formed in a reaction to a feeling of Power

exclusion also has much to do with the undesirable

feeling of marginalization. Economic exploitation had

been noted as a major reason for the rise of militancy in

the Niger Delta. In the North, the feeling has been one

of uneven development. All these in their individual

rights have the capacity to influence the rise of ethnic

militancy. The fact is that nobody feels okay being

pushed to the wall; as this continues to happen, it

reaches a point where that individual if he does not

ignore all odds to fight back will collapse and probably

die. Secondly, nobody also feels okay seeing himself

being cheated, the convention is that all human beings

26

detest it, though not all will react violently when it

happens, but if the situation continues for a time longer

than necessary without considerations for the victim at

the receiving end, the same could of stake his life on

the line to salvage himself; the same is consistent with

groups. The North decries uneven development which is

another form of marginalization.

These situations, though not justifiable in the before

the law, have the capacity to breed violent reaction to

free the people from the shackles of bondage, which is

detestable.

Corruption and Impunity

Another factor to be considered is corruption in high

places which seems to have been given a enabling

environment to thrive in Nigeria as the few exposed

culprits to tend to go with the impunity. The trend in

recent times, since Obasanjo Administration till date

(that is from 1999 till date) suggest a disgusting

pattern with which only those who have fallen out of

favour with the powers that be, especially the president

27

that have agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes

Commission (EFCC) sent after and as soon as they are able

to reconcile, the charges against them are dropped

otherwise, those who are friends of the president do not

have their financial misconducts exposed and when they

are, the president does everything within his powers to

shield such a crony. This is the kind of situation

playing out at the moment in the Stella Oduah case of

purchase of two armoured cars for N255m.

Situations as these breed anger which on its part

generate frustration, and frustration if not resolved

could generate aggression, hence violence.

Inadequate Expert Training

Many of our security personnel lack the expert skills

needed to combat and contain the insurgency by these

militia groups. From time to time, Abubakar Shekau, the

leader of the Boko haram and most wanted criminal in

Nigeria appear on Youtube boasting that the Nigerian

Government with its array of Security Forces cannot stop.

He says these, plans the next move and succeeds; is it

28

not surprising that the Nigerian intelligence teams have

been unable to locate the whereabouts of the faceless man

and unveil him? Even if he does not operate from within

Nigeria, can the Nigerian government not collaborate with

those of the neighbouring countries especially that of

Cameroon from where he is thought to operate, so that a

lead can be gotten to his whereabouts? The lack of expert

training to contain insurgency actually gives an impetus

to its sustenance. Had the Niger Delta uprisings been

decisively taken care of, other outbreaks that we have

now would not have been possible, even if they will, then

not as easy as we have them today.

Lack of Will to Enforce Territorial Security

Ensuring territorial security entails the will to

continuously enforce security checks at all check points

and this should be done all the time without laxity and

levity. When security personnel at such check points

allow commuters to pass freely without et actual checks

on the payment of a token fee of N50 (they have graduated

from N20) then the rest of us are put at the mercy of

29

criminals. The other side to this is the non-

availability of sophisticated devices to enhance

effective and efficient checks. This makes some of us

come to feel that the people that control the machinery

of government only pay lip service to the fight against

insurgency in Nigeria if not, the monies allocated to

security by the Federal, State and Local governments in

Nigeria should have been enough to provide these

necessary tools of surveillance to our security personnel

at the checkpoints and public places by now. But where

do we leave corruption when the average Nigerian thinks

of enriching himself as soon as he assures an office of

authority to the detriment of the masses who actually put

him there.

Lack of Unity among Players In The Battle Against

Insurgency In Nigeria

In this regards, the emphasis is on lack of Unity among

these who make decisions concerning combating insurgency

in Nigeria. It is no news that at a point, president

Jonathan Good-Luck declared that he has members of Boko

haram round and about him, in the army, policy, National

30

Assembly, the Presidency to mention but a few. If the

authorities are divided among themselves and the

criminals remain united, it offers them better

opportunities to plan, strategize and strike without any

leakages while our soldiers can be ambushed because of

leakages.

Conclusion

On the basis of the above, results, the following

conclusions are reached:

There will be no need for ethnic militias in Nigeria

if every Nigerian is treated equally and regions

given its fair share in the process of allocation of

resources without any iota of marginalization but in

the spirit of fairness, equity and justice.

Corruption and payment of lip service to the fight

against insurgency with continue to make more rise

from time to time.

Recommendation

31

In a bid to proffer solutions to the lingering problem of

ethnic militias in Nigeria, the following recommendations

are made.

The Nigerian Policy makers and implementers should

be sincere and honest with themselves and the rest

of Nigeria in the business of governance. They

ought to come to the realization that all Nigerians

need to be treated equally and fairly. In the same

way, no region should be given undue preference over

the others and everybody will be happy. In such a

spirit, grievances will be far from the people and

that means that rebellion will also be far.

The government of Nigeria should proscribe all

ethnic militias operating in the country, even those

ones that claim to provide additional security to

the lives and property of members of the society.

The battle against corruption should be fought

without fear or favour. It is as a result of

corruption that grievances heighten, people get

agitated and revolt. In the interest of peace, one

would not recommend for a radical revolution, so

32

power players in Nigeria, the President and his

offices should ensure that corruption in Nigeria is

brought to the barest minimum. This he can do

because it is in his power to do, and if he feels he

is not capable, he should do the honourable, resign

and allow some strong willed Nigerian come to

salvage the rest of Nigeria from the bondage to

corrupt politicians instead of allowing Nigerians to

die at the hands of insurgents and these politicians

as much as this. The insurgents kill but corruption

kills even more.

Our security personnel should be given the requisite

training in accordance with global best practices to

enable them do their job effectively and

efficiently. Their training should go beyond just

handling of weapons to effectiveness in using

sophisticated equipment to improve surveillance;

they should also be equipped with skills and

techniques to improve counterintelligence and

espionage.

33

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the Lagos

34

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Sociology, submitted to the

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