Bulus Nom Audu

Keywords: National security, policing, media, judiciary, social order

Abstract

Since Nigeria’s political independence in 1960, the nation had been plagued with myraids of insecurity; ranging from ethno-religious crises in some parts of Northern Nigeria, terrorism and banditry, kidnapping and abduction in the South-South, South-East and the South-West, Armed robbery and political assassination, unemployment, porous borders, environmental degradation, climate change and desertification. Adopting a holistic approach to security, this paper discusses the history of insecurity and policing in Nigeria. The paper argues that national security is positively correlated with the increase in the distributive capability and genuine democratization of a given system; that the tranquility and well-being of a society are pre-conditions for security. Findings culminate to show that national insecurity has impacted on policing in Nigeria in the sense that it has brought to the fore the fact that Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria have struggled to effectively manage and tackle threats. The paper concludes that insecurity in Nigeria is largely a consequence of political instability which manifests in forms such as: military intervention in national politics, electoral violence, ethno-religious conflicts, militancy, and terrorism. The paper recommends that there is need for security agencies, the media, and judiciary to collaborate with each other in collectively maintaining law and order in Nigeria.

Author Biography

Bulus Nom Audu

Department of History and International Studies, Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State, Nigeria

Email: [email protected]

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