GOVERNMENT AND THE MANAGEMENT OF SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA

GOVERNMENT AND THE MANAGEMENT OF SECURITY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Security concerns have existed since time immemorial. But, the challenges have never been as readily manifested as they are presently. This is rather disconcerting. Moreso, because some of the security challenges and problems we encounter daily in the contemporary society are almost entirely unpredictable. Indeed, rapid growth and use of mechanical arts, applied science, and revolutionary dynamics of society apparently blend well with the desperate nature of the criminally minded to increase the spate of threats to life and property, a state which has assumed omnipresent and digital dimensions of crime in our society.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background of the Study

After the Nigeria civil war in 1970, security situation in Nigeria has been relatively stable. People had peace and can move freely from one part of the country to another without harassment or molestation. Live was easy going. No problems among different ethnic groups living together. Everybody struggled to make two ends meet. Lives and properties of people were secured because of the alert of security agents like the police, the soldiers and different societal vigilante groups. People feared causing problems because of the wrath of the law. Security in the country was highly maintained. However, the case of insecurity was noticed in Nigeria as far back as the year 2000 in some local governments‟ areas in the country but the negligence of this evil act by the constituted authority then made it spread to different part of the country. May be the governments then were unable to realize its adverse effect at long run.

Recently, their actions have constituted a lot of threat to the entire population and seem to have worsened with high security agents in the country. The question is with the existence of this ugly trend, what then is security in the country? Security according to Nwagboso, (2012) is the act of being safe from harm or danger, the defense, protection and preservation of values, and the absence of threats to acquired values. Security is about survival and the condition of human existence. Security also exists when people live together in a certain environment without disturbance or violent. The freedom from danger, care intimidation, apprehension, the feeling or assurance of safety, peace of mind or absence of fear, and the certainty or assurance of the good life or welfare constitutes one of the fundamental objectives and indeed the foremost responsibility of every government and the state. In Nigeria, the constitution unequivocally spelt out as a fundamental objective and directive principle of state policy that “the security and welfare of the people (of Nigeria) shall be the primary purpose of government” (Section 14 (2) (b) Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999).