Ethnic Militia: Implication On Insecurity And Democracy

Ethnic Militia: Implication On Insecurity And Democracy

Chapter One

Preface

Background of the study

The popular opening presented by Nigeria’s most recent transition to civil rule( June 1998 – May 1999) has unleashed a host of heretofore repressed or dormant political forces. The Nigerian state1 has lately been subordinated to a dramatic increase in ethnical regulars. According to Vickers( 2000), we live moment in an” period of militant race”, with its grave social, profitable, political and mortal costs. Among the most critical and indeed violent of this new brand of unleashed political forces which numerous have appertained to as a ‘ rejuvenescence ’ is the intractable miracle of ethnical nation/ identity movements.

Ethnical regulars are organized violence- acquainted groups peopled by different rudiments, gauging different age strata, but simply drawn from an ethnical group and established to promote and cover the interests of an ethnicalgroup.Ethnic regulars is an extreme form of ethnical agitation for tone- determination and occurs when the ethnical group assumes a militant posture. They serve as a social pressure group designed to impact the structure of power to the advantage of and call attention to the deteriorating material condition or political privation and perceived marginalization of their group or social terrain.

In Nigeria, this development has taken on the guise of ethnical host movements purportedly representing and seeking to cover their different ethnical interests in a country in which the state is largely perceived as incurious to the demands of the ethnical ethnicities in the country. The most prominent among these regulars include the plethora of the Niger Delta regulars like the Egbesu Boys of Africa( EBA), the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, and the Chikoko Movement. Other recent and more visible regulars include, the O’odua Peoples Congress( OPC), the Indigenous People of Biafra( IPOB) and the Afenifere Group( APC) and Miyetti Allah. The number grows daily and, so far, the government appears to be at a loss as to how to deal with this problem in an terrain where individual and group rights and security need to be upheld, relatively piecemeal from the ethnical and political counteraccusations of the mayhem caused by these groups. These groups are now querying not just the political space and the tips from republic as it was orchestrated previous to the transition, but also the social- profitable spaces as part of the liberalization of the political terrain, which are all symbols of secession. The ensuing characteristics are participated by these militant groups the innocent use of violence, a transcendence of youth class, ethnical identity confederations, movements of a generally popular nature, demanding change over the status quo, heightening the position of instability in the country, and ceaseless agitations that turn bloody in the end, putting the country in a state ofchaos.These and other instantiations of ethno- host aren’t only dangerous to the country’s security, but also to the popular connection of what makes us anation.As a result, this study is grounded on the premise Ethnical host counteraccusations for instability and republic.

Statement of the problem

One of the abecedarian challenges that have constrained or incapacitated development in Nigeria is the transcendence of ethnical regulars and insurrection which have gulfed the nation for over a decade now. The uninterrupted actuality of violence expressed between these groups( ethnical regulars and mutineers) who feel barred and marginalized from being power structures on one hand and central authority on the other hand, has indeed affected not only peace and security, but also undermined the countries’ popular connection. According to Felix( 2011), this development appears to be a direct result of the Nigerian state’s internal problems, with the incarnation of frustrated expression through defiance violence of ethnical regulars and insurrection; which the state is unfit to effectively cover the lives and property of hercitizens.A common denominator recorded by these violence is that they’ve promoted philanthropic heads ranging from hijacking , wildfire, banditry smashups, food instability, substantially concerning the stability of the autonomous and thereby inhibiting the popular connection which is depended on junction of the country, nation structure and public development.

The script of this ethnical host and insurrection is woeful, gauging from the North, East, and South of the Nigerian state. In the North, the conditioning of the Boko Haram side, which claims millions of lives in the region, can’t be left out. The Obatse Cult conditioning in Nasarawa state in north central Nigeria remain so unpredictable. In the east, issues of violence and hijacking by unknown markswomen remain also remain unpredictable in that region. In the South and North West, the conditioning of bandits and herders causing mayhem on growers and residers are still shaky, and instability is on the rise, putting the terrain at threat on a diurnal base.

Inversely, the violent competitions with security labor force, and the deliberate vandalism of public serviceability by both ethnical regulars and insurrection seriously undermines the safety of lives and parcels, and instils fear and a sense of instability in the crowd. This has a negative impact on Nigeria’s junction and popular connection of the Nigerianstate.Against this background, this study will probe Ethnical host counteraccusations for instability and republic.

Ideal Of The Study

The primary thing of this exploration is to probe ethnical regulars and their counteraccusations for security anddemocracy.Specifically, the study will

1. Examine the emergence of ethnical regulars and insurrection in Nigeria.

2. probe Possible Factors Responsible for the Emergence of Ethnical Regulars and Insurgency in Nigeria.

3. probe ethnical regulars and their negative impact on popular connection and development.

Exploration Question

The exploration is guided by the following exploration question

1. What are the instantiations of Ethnical host?

2. What are the factors responsible for the emergence of Ethnical Militia?

3. What are the negative effect of ethnical host in the society?

4. What are the prospects to end ethnical host and the way forward?

Significance of the study

The exploration will be useful to the government, policymakers, and politicalelite.The government will exfoliate light on the significance of pursuing industrialization and developing strategies to reduce youth severance and address inequalities. to policy makers, it’ll enlighten them on the need to observe the rule of law, adherence to constitutionalism, and respect for individual and collaborative rights, which are apropos to good governance and popular practice. This would greatly reduce the extremity that aggravated the rejuvenescence of ethnical regulars and mutineers in Nigeria. It’ll encourage the government to always borrow dialogue rather of violence in the operation and resolution of conflicts and differences between the state and the colorful ethnical ethnicities. The study eventually will contribute to the body of literature and serve as reference material for other experimenters in this field.

Compass Of The Study

The compass of this study is borders on Ethnical host recrimination on instability and republic. The study is thus limited to south- south region using Bayelsa State as case study.

Exploration Methodology

exploration methodology is the specific procedures or ways used to identify, elect, process, and dissect information about a content.

Data Collection This exploration is grounded on secondary data. The accoutrements for this study is sourced substantially from written workshop from libraries and libraries which will include textbook books, papers, journals and publications applicable for the study.

Data analysis The system of data analysis for this exploration is principally Qualitative and descriptive in nature.

Limitation of the study

The following factors poses to be a limitation during the course of this exploration

fiscal constraint – inadequate fund tends to stymie the effectiveness of the experimenter in sourcing for the applicable accoutrements , literature or information and in the process of data collection( internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint – The experimenter will contemporaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This accordingly will cut down on the time devoted for the exploration work.

Description Of Terms

Ethnical host Ethnical regulars is an extreme form of ethnical agitation for tone- determination and occurs when the ethnical group assumes militant posture.

Instability instability is a state of not being secure, it represent lack of defense and fear and confidence.

Democracy Democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through freely tagged representatives.