BANDITRY: A JUSTIFIABLE CAUSE OR A CRIMINAL ACT (INSIGHT INTO BANDITRY OPERATIONS IN NIGERIA)

Abstract

This study dwells on the current form of banditry in Nigeria with specific reference to the border communities. Armed banditry involves attacking people on the highways and even the raiding of villages. These acts of banditry result in injury, loss of human lives, loss of property and a sustained fear of victimization among the border communities.  The country as a nation state is under a severe internal socio economic and security threat. As a more general level, the threat has social, economic, political and environmental dimensions. Each of these dimensions has greatly affected the nation’s stability, and can be traced to the ethnic militia armies, ethnic and religious conflicts, poverty, terrorism, armed robbery, corruption, economic sabotage and environmental degradation. The efforts of the government to eradicate insurgency, banditry and corruption have been slow and costly in terms of public funds spent, lives and properties lost. This has made the citizenry to question, the efficiency of the menace. “It is now a daily occurrence as no day passes without a case recorded. It is not even rustling of cows but now kidnapping of people. “Our state is currently under serious siege by armed robbers, kidnappers and armed bandits who arrest rural people at the grassroots at will and demand ransom, which if not paid, they kill their victims. The paper has of the view that security mechanism need to be improved by demonstrating serious effort and commitment from government at level and the local communities.