10 Problems of Insecurity in Nigeria and Possible Solutions

Nigeria has been facing insecurity problems as much as corruption problems. Somehow, both of them seem to be related because all goods coming into the country are supposedly checked and scrutinized aptly.

Now, if this is true, how then do explosives, bombs and high damage assault rifles gain access into the country and subsequently end up in the hands of terrorist?

The insecurity problems in Nigeria can be seen in everywhere. Recently, we had an issue of the missing mace, where the house of senate was stormed by supposedly armed men and the mace hijacked from the midst of Nigerian senators. This sounds more like a scene from an action movie.

10 Problems of Insecurity in Nigeria and Possible Solutions
Insecurity Challenge in Nigeria – Photo Source: https://www.naija.ng

One would ask, where were the police convoys who blow sirens following these men around, from place to place doing as at that time? Or better still, is the house not supposedly guarded by policemen?

If so, where were there and what were they doing? These are questions the security agencies should ask, figure out and then make necessary amendments to avoid such scenarios in future.

Nigeria has recorded a good number of terrorism and insurgency ranging from armed robbery in the time of Anini and Shina Rambo, through militancy who vandalized oil pipes and kidnap foreigners to the current Boko Haram group which is now listed among the likes of the al-Qaeda and ISIS as one of the most deadly terrorist group in the world.

Boko haram alone has killed tens of thousands and have displaced 2.3million Nigerians from their homes. They killed over 6600 people in 2014 and also carried out a mass abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April of that same year.

Due to the corruption in our security system and lack of well stocked arsenals to fight off these beast, Nigerians are still under fear of attack by them.

As if terrorism wasn’t enough, we now have increasing rate of cultism and ritualism. The Baddo cult in lagos which has now died down following proper security agencies intervention and apprehension of responsible personalities, was known to attack and kill their victims with grinding stones and others.

Cultist meeting in our tertiary institutions now takes preference over lectures. Rivers states currently holds the achievement of being the state with highest cultism rate although no single state is devoid of such.

Recently here in Akwa Ibom State, deadly cultists such as the likes of “Iso Akpafid and Stainless” were just taken out of the picture after a period of their attack on lives and properties.

Lets take a look at the problems posed by insecurity to the citizens and country in totality.

Problems of Insecurity in Nigeria:

1. Fear Among Citizens

Who wouldn’t get scared especially after hearing of or worst still, witnessing a bomb blast? On hearing of terrorism, the first thing that strikes citizens minds are their concern for their own safety, family and properties.

Fear among citizens can hamper economic growth and development since the economy cannot not improve if all citizens stay locked within the four corners of their house while trembling in fear.

2. Loss of Lives

Not only the killing of people an infringement on human rights, it is also a violation of God’s own commandment. Humans are not allowed to murder fellow humans but in the absence of efficient security, innocent lives get lost.

People get killed in bomb blast following terrorist attack, some fall victims to cultist clash while others get hit by bullets from armed robbers robbing places. Countless number of students fall victims to stray bullets all because of our lacking security systems.

3. Loss of Properties

If humans are not safe themselves, how much more their properties. In the past, we have been hearing cases of vandalization of properties by militants up until their grant of amnesty.

They would blowup pipelines and cause oil spillage which in turn disrupts the order of the ecosystem, leading to death of fishes in rivers, death of crops, destruction of farmlands and land pollution.

In the case of oil spillage, it is good to point out that the cost of cleaning up oil spillage is very high, this huge amount of money injected into oil spill control is what the government would have invested into other sectors of the economy. So, you can see how the product of insecurity robs Nigeria of her economic growth and development.

4. Discouragement of Industrialization

Industrialization is prerequisite for economic growth and development. The highly developed countries are the highly industrialized and technologically advanced countries. Industrialization is also necessary for the curbing of unemployment and reduction of crime rates.

Now, for an industry to thrive properly and efficiently, the working and environmental conditions must be favorable, people must be free to walk and talk without harboring fear of getting bombed or shot at, at any time.

No investor would want to risk his life and money by coming to invest in a country where the security level is apologetic. Hence, insecurity in all respect, hinders industrialization.

5. High Emigration and Migration Rate

Attacks by Boko Haram have displaced about 2.3million Nigerians from their homes. In 2012, two days after the declaration of state of emergency in Nigeria, Boko Haram released an ultimatum to the southern Nigerians living in the north, giving them 3 days to leave.

Three days later, they began a series of small-scale attacks on Christians and members of the Igbo ethnic group, causing hundreds to flee. The problem of insecurity here, will be the increase in migration and emigration rate. Those who can afford to fly out of the country will do so while those who can’t, will have to migrate to a safer state.

6. Discouragement of Immigration

People who travel also take their safety into consideration. How safe a country is, determines how often foreigners will come. This can affect industrialization and economic growth and development.

A sensible foreign investor considers his life first before money; the outcome here will be the paralysis of investment by foreigners in Nigerian industries.

7. Hampered Economic Growth and Development

If industries cannot thrive due to insecurity reasons, and investors refuse to invest due to the same issue, how then will the country experience growth and development?

How about the vandalization of properties and bombing of buildings? This contributes to development in no way, all it does is add to cost of repairs and act as a shackle which restricts the country from pushing forward.

8. Increased Crime Rates and Social Vices

Insecurity has a direct relationship with crime rates and social vices. The more insecure a place is, the more people will have access to it and the more criminal acts people will commit.

There will be increased cases of extortion, murder, robbery, rape, drug dealing and abduction etc.

9. Overpopulation and Environmental Pollution

In the quest for safety, people tend to migrate from the endangered area to the safer ones. Increased migration overtime, will lead to overpopulation and one of the issues associated with overpopulation is environmental pollution. Gutters turn to incinerators and dump trucks, bridges and flyovers become a home for the homeless etc.

10. Discouragement of Social and Religious Activities

Thousands of people have been killed in churches, with Catholic Church recording the highest number. Attacks are often directed to a highly populated area as in the case of churches and social gatherings. People being aware of this fact tend to get discouraged from being in such places.

 Solution to the Problems of Insecurity in Nigeria

#1. Security should be tightened at the seaport and airports to ensure that arms are not imported into the country.

#2. Security groups should be formed against cultism and terrorism in the country.

#3. Nigerian armed forces should be supplied with the necessary tools to fight insurgency and terrorism in the country.

 

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