ARE TRUST AND LAW DEFICITS FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES IN NIGERIA'S SECURITY GOVERNANCE?

Abstract

Security is tied to any country's political and socio-economic growth and development. The negligence of the Nigerian government in addressing its security governance and its attendant violent crimes has resulted in security challenges in the country. The paper attempts a critical review of these major internal security challenges hitherto confronting the country; such as the recent spate of kidnapping, Boko Haram crises, killings and Fulani Herdsmen crisis in Nigeria. It interrogates how Nigeria’s (in) security governance has raised issues beyond trust and law on the part of component actors and stakeholders (domestic actors) with the Federal Government leading to the intensification of politics of a state of emergency in Nigeria. The paper uses both primary and secondary sources of data as its method or technique of data collection and analyzes the missing gaps between security governance and the state of emergency in Nigeria. The paper advances its findings and makes recommendations, some of which are, the provision of an appropriate infrastructure for good governance, and rule of law, overhauling and decentralization of the security sector to meet the contemporary challenges of law enforcement, surveillance and protective service delivery, creation of employment opportunities and to embark on total moral re-orientation of the citizens among others.