Abstract
Nigeria's landscape is plagued with increased insecurity fueled by political violence and civil unrest. The political violence stems from ethnic chauvinism, power dominance by Nigerian politicians, and the military. The resulting consequence has driven investors and forced locals to find solace in other nations through mass migration. This chapter seeks to examine events surrounding key political violence in Nigeria and its causes. The authors address practical strategies to address the civil unrest in Nigeria. Policy implications for Nigeria's national security and sustainable development are suggested.
TopBackground: Development Of Political Violence And Civil Unrest In Nigeria
Nigeria's Federalism is a double-edged sword that has led to its growth and destruction. Power concentration is mainly seen in the central or federal government (Afolabi, 2006) and usually results in an abuse of power without proper checks to hold the center accountable. Similarly, Local, State, and Federal elections are constantly filled with power tussles leading to violence.
Political aspirants empower miscreants to instigate violence and civil unrest against opponents and citizens who share different political beliefs. Such “touts,” as they are popularly called in Nigeria, are equipped with weapons and money for their oppressive acts. Politicians prey on each other through violence (Aver et al., 2013) in a bid to assert power dominance (Alfa & Otaida, 2012) and obstruct the fundamental tenets of democracy (Anweting & Ogar, 2019; Ikyase & Egberi, 2015). Discord among political parties is on a constant rise in Nigeria, and these contentious practices have enabled militancy to thrive on overcoming oppression (Segun, 2013) from those in power. The exposure of citizens to such violence creates intense fear and political apathy leading to low voter turnout in the many Nigerian States. Suffice it to say that democracy at its worst is the current state of the Nigerian political system.
Post-election seasons find the weapons used by miscreants in public circulation and control exploited for personal gains and further violence. The weapons and mechanisms used for election purposes are the nation’s worst fear as they become the nation’s deadly and daily instruments. The Nigerian States with a high level of violence are those usually empowered by politicians during election periods.
Recent Trends of Political Violence in Nigeria
Conflict is inevitable in a heterogeneous society such as Nigeria. Nevertheless, when such conflict becomes a recurring tool exploited by those in power to advance their political agenda, society bears the brunt of it. This section analyzes two recent cases of political violence in Nigeria seen in the Lekki massacre and the Presidential election of 2019.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Security: The act of ensuring the safety of individuals and organizations from all forms of physical, social, and economic violence, harm, or threat of violence.
Sustainability: The intersectionality of environmental, social, economic, health, and equitable effects on the current world state to guarantee intergenerational longevity and well-being.
Federalism: A political system of government that divides power between the central government and other regional governments.
Social media: An electronic platform that facilitates the exchange and free flow of information and ideas.
#EndSars: A social movement by Nigerian youths to protest police brutality, mistreatment of citizens’ rights, corruption, and bad governance.
Lekki Massacre: A violent attack and killing of Nigerian citizens on October 20, 2020, by the Nigerian military, that occurred in the geographical region of the Lekki Axis in Lagos Nigeria.
Mass Migration: The relocation of a large group of people from their country to other countries.
Political Violence: Intentional use of force and abuse of power on civilians to achieve a political agenda.