Rethinking Banditry and Terrorist in Nigeria’s North West: Dynamic, Justice, and Security

Zumve Samuel Ph.D; Okoru Alex Omojo Ph.D

doi:10.56201/ijssmr.vol.11no12.2025.pg457.466

📄 Download Paper

Rethinking Banditry and Terrorist in Nigeria’s North West: Dynamic, Justice, and Security

Zumve Samuel Ph.D, Okoru Alex Omojo Ph.D

Abstract

Banditry and terrorism have emerged as severe and persistent security challenges in Nigeria’s North-West region, threatening lives, livelihoods, and national stability. This study examines the dynamics of banditry and terrorism in the North-West, with particular attention to their historical roots, patterns of occurrence, and the relevance of a dynamic justice and security framework in addressing the menace. Anchored on Robert Merton’s Strain Theory (1938), the study explains how socio-economic deprivation, poverty, unemployment, marginalization, and weak governance structures create conditions that push vulnerable youths toward banditry and terrorist-related activities. A descriptive research design was adopted, relying on secondary data from online reports, scholarly literature, and security incident records. The study reveals that banditry has evolved from localized farmer–herder conflicts into organized criminal networks engaging in kidnapping, mass killings, cattle rustling, highway attacks, and assaults on schools and places of worship across states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano, Kebbi, and Jigawa. Findings further show that the persistence of these crimes is linked to the inadequacy of Nigeria’s conventional justice system, characterized by slow trials, weak enforcement, limited rural policing, and low public trust. The study concludes that addressing banditry and terrorism in the North-West requires more than combatant military responses. It recommends the adoption of a dynamic justice system that integrates effective law enforcement, judicial reform, community collaboration, negotiation mechanisms, socio-economic interventions, public sensitization, and the deployment of modern security technologies. Such approaches are essential for restoring public confidence, reducing insecurity, and promoting lasting peace and development in the region. Key Words: Banditry, Terrorism, Dynamic Justice and Security.

Keywords

BanditryTerrorismDynamic Justice and Security.

References

Abang, P.O. (2021). Insecurity and negligence of rural development. The bane of food, security and sustainable development goals in Nigeria. International Journal of Public Administration and Management Research 7 (1), 30 – 37. Adebayo, K. and Ibrahim, H. (2024). Violent criminal gangs displace and disrupt North West Nigeria. Africa Centre for Strategic Studies. African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism . (2021). Terrorism and armed violence trends in West Africa. African Union Commission. Akinola, A. O., & Tella, O. (2022). Justice, governance and security challenges in Nigeria: Rethinking institutional responses to violent conflicts. African Journal of Conflict Resolution, 22(1), 45–67. Aljazeera Report (2025). Cooperation not threats: Nigeria wants US alliance to curb violent attacks. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/11/19/cooperation-not- threats-nigeria-wants-us-alliance-to-curb-violent-attacks. Accessed 6 December, 2025. Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (2022). Nigeria security and banditry situation reports. ACLED. Asadu, C. (2021). “Two edges sword?: Nigeria blocks phone networks to stop crime”. Christian Science Monitor. Available at:https://www.csmonitor.com. Ashley, C. (2019). “Deviance and Strain Theory in Sociology”. Thought Co. Available at:https//:www.thoughtco.com/structural strain-theory-3026632. Accessed 8 December, 2025. Defelm, M. (2015). “Anomic and Strain: Context and Consequences of Merton’s Two Theories. Matthiew Deflem.Web 12. Retrieved 9 December, 2025. Enweremadu, D. U. (2019). Traditional institutions, informal justice and conflict management in Nigeria. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 54(3), 377–393. Eterno, J.A.A, Verma & Silverman, E.B. (2022). How countries count crime: An exercise in Police Discretion. Routledge. Jacob, O. and Ahaotu, N. (2021). Effects of Insecurity on School Administration in Nigeria. Middle European in Scientific Bulletin. Johana, M., Yusuf, A., & Sule, H. (2024). Banditry and human security in North-West Nigeria: Implications for livelihoods and social stability. Journal of Peace and Security Studies, 9(2), 112–129. Jones, O.J., Michael, U. & Christopher, C. (2021). Insecurity in Nigeria: Towards addressing the diverse of sustained violent attacks and security breakdown. International Journal of Formal Sciences: Current and Future Research Trends, 12 (1): 33-49. Jude, I., Ahmed, R., & Musa, S. (2021). Banditry and internal security challenges in North- West Nigeria. African Security Review, 30(3), 245–260. Leadership Media Group (2025). NSA Traces Banditry In North To British Conquest, Cross Border Crimes. Available at https://leadership.ng/nsa-traces-banditry-in-north-to-british-conquest- cross-border-crimes/?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed 5th December, 2025. Merton, R. K. (1938). Social structure and anomie. American Sociological Review, 3(5), 672– 682. Ojo, E. O. (2020). Governance and insecurity in Nigeria: The management of armed banditry in the North-West. Journal of Political Science and Leadership Research, 6(2), 1–15. Osasona, T. (2023). The question of definition: Armed banditry in Nigeria’s North West in the context of international humanitarian law. International Review of the Red Cross. 105 (923): 735 – 749. Punch Newspaper (2025). Real reason Ex-defence minister, Badaru resigned. Available at: https://punchng.com/real-reason-ex-defence-minister-badaru-resigned. Accessed December 6, 2025 Reuters. (2021–2025). Reports on banditry, kidnappings and mass attacks in North-West Nigeria. Reuters News Agency.

Rethinking Banditry and Terrorist in Nigeria’s North West: Dynamic, Justice, and Security

Abstract

Keywords

References

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH