A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF BANDITRY ON RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

For a long time, Nigeria has been a battleground. In addition to the ongoing conflict between farmers and herders, the Biafra insurgents, radical Islamists in the North-East, kidnappings in various parts of the country, the Niger Delta crisis, and other security issues beset the country. There are significant obstacles. The Boko Haram Party, however, remains Nigeria’s largest security threat. The organization is a big threat to neighbors, particularly Cameroon, Niger, and Chad, with serious economic, social, and humanitarian ramifications. For example, the organization recently killed 40 rice farmers in Jere Local Government, Borno State, Nigeria. The United Nations determined that the death toll was substantially higher than what had been reported. However, as the organization makes life tough for the people of the Northood, another organized group known as the armed bandits is making life even more difficult for the residents of Nigeria’s northwest. Life is no longer holy in our corner of the world, and the overall effect will undoubtedly last decades. The administration is clearly frustrated, and the public is powerless. As a result, it is necessary to investigate the complexity of the recent growth in army banditry, the difficulty of combating banditry, and how bandits and rebels can keep the country from completely shutting down. But, first and foremost, who are those thieves?

In Nigeria, abuse against bandits is not a new phenomenon. The practice of banditry in Nigeria extends back to the pre-civil war era, when the government in some sections of the ancient Western Region devolved into political violence, criminality, and organized insurrection. During the civilian reign, local bandits are said to have robbed domestic animals. Bandits have recently been a source of concern in Nigeria’s northwest, particularly in the states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Niger, Kaduna, and Kebbi. Kidnapping, murder, robbery, rape, livestock rustling, and other crimes are among the actions of these bandits. Their method of operation is to maim and kill their victims when they are least expecting it. They usually mobilized by riding fast motorcycles through the trees into the area, especially at night, and shooting. They mobilized by riding fast motorcycles through the forests into the area, especially at night, and shooting at will. They sometimes unleash panic in the neighborhoods in the afternoon, once they are sure there is no security presence of police or military around. Hundreds of people have died as a result of this expanding peril. Several children have been orphaned, and women have become widows overnight, while food insecurity and humanitarian disaster will make life even more difficult for many Nigerians. The reality is terrifying. “Approximately 1,100 individuals were slain in six northwestern Nigerian nations in 2018, more than 2,200 in 2019, and 1,600 between January and June 2020,” according to the report. Around 247,000 people were displaced, and their effort resulted in the creation of around 41,000 refugees. Over 8000 people have been killed in Zamfara alone in the previous decade, with 200,000 people internally displaced and others fleeing to neighboring states. “Now, bandits travel with AK47 in the north and regret the region’s worst,” Muhammadu Sa ad Abubakar, Sokoto’s religious leader and Sultan, said of the situation. It is important to note that the latest Northwest conflict arose from a fight between farmers and herdsmen over depleting lands and water resources, with the farmers primarily being Hausa and the herdsmen primarily Fulani. In addition, in a region where poverty is firmly established and illiteracy is quite high, raising cattle is a major source of income. As a result, whenever this source of income is threatened, whether by nature or by human intervention, they will go to any length to protect it. There’s also the issue of small arms and light weapons proliferation in the area, as well as inequality and, as John Campbell puts it, “weakened, strained, and demoralized security services.”

Statement Of The Problem

Northern Nigeria has devolved into a dynamic, territorial emergency due to banditry and other sources of instability. The Boko Haram insurgency demonstrates this. Following individual events, Boko Haram began a coordinated assault on people, populations, and eventually the state. Crime thrives in environments where there is no dissuasion. In most rural parts of Nigeria, there are ample opportunities for illegal activity. To begin with, some of the groups are located in rural areas with little or no government presence. Families are sometimes separated by and interspersed by wooded regions. As a result, they are vulnerable to banditry attacks on people, populations, and eventually the state in isolated incidents. The lack of efficient community policing structures capable of dealing with the hinterlands’ unique security challenges aggravates the situation. In consequence, the prevalence of rural banditry in northwest Nigeria calls into question the government’s ability to govern successfully. The official security apparatus has so far failed to combat the banditry epidemic. A lack of political will and operational problems are to blame for this failure.

Objective Of The Study

The fundamental goal of this research is to

1. To investigate the impact of banditry on the development of rural communities.
2. To learn more about the causes of banditry in rural areas.
3. To see if the attack has had an impact on the communities’ living standards.

Research Question

1. What impact does banditry have on the development of rural communities?
2. What is the source of modern banditry in rural areas?
3. Is the attack affecting the quality of life in these communities?

Significance Of The Study

This research will be useful to the government in bringing to their attention a method of reducing banditry attacks. Scholars, students, and researchers interested in conducting further research on this topic might use the study as a resource.

Scope Of The Study

The goal of this study is to evaluate the consequences of banditry on Nigerian rural community development.

Limitation Of The Study

The key challenges encountered throughout this research were time constraints, financial constraints, and the lack of research resources.

Definition Of Terms

BANDITRY: Banditry is a form of organized crime perpetrated by outlaws, which usually involves the threat or use of violence.

RURAL COMMUNITY: A rural community, often known as the countryside, is a geographical location outside of towns and cities.