The remote, immediate causes of Crimes, Insecurity/Terrorism and

Instability in Nigeria and Solutions.

By Don Okereke

The following are some of the remote and immediate causes of instability,
insecurity/terrorism in Nigeria:
1 system of government
One of the primary causes of instability and insecurity in Nigeria is what this writer
calls, our wrong system of government and over-concentration of Political Power at
the centre. One is not trying to be a prophet of doom, but these problems will
continue haunting us until we are honest and bold enough to sort it out. So far we
have been treating the symptom of the disease and not the causative agent.
Currently it will seem we are building on sand and not on a solid foundation because
many of those issues that led to the Nigerian Civil war are still prevalent more than
fifty years after the war ended. We cannot afford reinforcing a mistake! Its high
time we redefined and re-negotiated the terms and conditions of our existence
perhaps through a National Conference or a no-holds-barred constitutional
amendment. With many State governors opposed to Local Government Autonomy
and State Police, one doubts the current constitutional amendment jamboree will
yield much positive result.
Balkanizing this country is neither the solution to our problems. This writer strongly
believes in the unity of Nigeria. Even in a nuclear family, there are bound to be
disagreements, do we now split the family because of such quarrels. There is no
doubt that Nigeria has come to stay but with more than 400 ethnic groups, we need
a system of government that gives, if not all, then majority of our citizens a sense of
belonging.
2. weak judicial system, INJUSTICE, NEPOTISM AND CULTURE OF IMPUNITY
The second factor is weak judicial system, injustice, nepotism and a culture of
impunity. Here people commit all manner of crimes and get away with them. When
justice is said to be meted out, a rich man gets a slap on the wrist for stealing or
embezzling billions of naira while a poor man is sentenced to five years
imprisonment for stealing a goat. There is a widespread notion that justice can be
bought or sold in Nigeria depending on ones bargaining power and contacts in the
corridors of power. Some of the alleged masterminds of Boko Haram are said to
have been arrested in the past by security agents but promptly released due to
intervention of powerful individuals while some of them were jailed for just few
months, they come out sooner than later and continue with their nefarious
activities.

3. Unprecedented levels of corruption

A similar factor to the aforementioned is the unprecedented levels of corruption that
has permeated the fabrics of our national life. The figures these days are simply
mind-boggling! An individual steals, embezzles billions or even trillions of naira
without blinking an eye-lid! It would seem there is a competition for who wins the
highest award for corruption. Now the government is said to be negotiating with the
indicted Oil subsidy culprits. This definitely sets a bad precedent. Why not let the
law take its course. The rich criminal can bargain his way out of jail whereas the
poor criminal has no choice. From the Police to the Immigration; from the Citadels of
learning to the Seats of government; from the hospitals to the churches etc. This
writer wishes to use a couple of personal experiences to drive home his point. His
wife registered for ante-natal in one of the government hospitals and one of the
requirements in addition to paying the normal registration fee, was to donate blood.
After paying the required amount and donating the blood free of charge, he was
surprised when the officials asked him to shake body. This in Nigerian parlance
means to settle or give them money. One can voluntarily appreciate them say for
doing a good job but not for them to be demanding money for doing a job that they
are paid to do.
He had a similar experience when he went to the Post office to pick up a foreign
correspondence and the clerk asked him to his grease palms before he will release
his letter. Such incidents are widespread and have become more of a norm. People
even laugh at you when you complain of such happenings or incidents.
4. quota system
State of origin/indigenship syndrome or the so-called quota system also takes a
toll on the stability and security of our nation. A typical Nigerian identifies him/her
self first with his tribe or state of origin rather than as a Nigerian. A Nigerian born
and bred in an area and whose parents and grand-parents are also born in that
particular area but are originally from another place, are still seen as strangers or
settlers. They may be tolerated but many a times they are not entitled to some of
the privileges that the so-called owners of the land are entitled to. Currently, it is
very much unlikely for say, a Yoruba born and bred in Ebonyi State to aspire and
become the Governor of that state. Same applies to an Igbo born and bred in say,
Oyo state. Even when there is a law that stipulates ones entitlements/rights, in
reality, it is not pragmatic. With nostalgia, one remembers a situation sometime in
Sokoto State; indigent students were exonerated from paying school fees while
making it compulsory for settlers to pay school fees. This is not even the gist. The
gist is that settlers from another country (Niger Republic) are perhaps
inadvertently exempted from paying school fees because they bear Hausa names,
are Moslems and have strong cultural ties with the Hausa/Fulani people that inhabit

Sokoto state. On the other hand, settlers from say, the South-Eastern or SouthWestern parts of Nigeria pay school fees because they dont share the same name,
culture or language with the Sokoto people. You can see the irony.
5. Weak Institutions, Powerful individuals.
Weak Institutions, Powerful individuals. In Nigeria, some individuals- the so-called
god-fathers, Cabals and power-brokers are known to be stronger than the
government or the institution. They see themselves as untouchables. They boast
that nothing will happen and nothing ultimately happens! A case in point is the
Petrol subsidy fraud masterminds. The government wants to broker a deal with
them so they can return some of the money they embezzled. Many a times, the
Police, Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt
Practices Commission (ICPC) etc needs some kind of clearance from the powers
that be before they can do what they are naturally supposed to do especially when
a so-called godfather or powerful individual is involved. Unscrupulous money-bags
and in some cases criminals are celebrated and put in powerful positions because
they are connected. A very popular and powerful ex-governor in Nigeria
manipulated and escaped justice in Nigeria but was subsequently jailed in the U.K.
One recalls a former Defence minister in Germany that was relieved of his position
because he plagiarized his doctorate degree thesis. Not long ago, a former
Canadian minister resigned after it was discovered that inter-alia, she could not
reconcile expenses of about $16!.
In the West, I mean most European countries and North America, it is not unlikely
that people get away with crimes but once it becomes public knowledge or the
person gets caught, there is no hiding place, the law takes its natural course and
the culprit must pay for it no matter how highly placed he/she is.
6. Leadership
There is no doubt that Nigeria is endowed with a plethora of unpatriotic,
unscrupulous and greedy leaders. Leadership in Nigeria is a do-or-die affair, it is not
about competition of ideas or rendering selfless service as is the case in most
Western Countries. A leadership position in Nigeria is seen as a lifetime opportunity
for one to enrich himself and exonerate the next twenty generations of his family
from poverty. The so-called security vote has become a conduit pipe for siphoning
money from the government coffers. Like they say, a leopard cannot change its
skin.
7. Unemployment

Unemployment and lack of record/database of criminals also in no small measure, contributes to

instability and insecurity not just in Nigeria but in any other place. The saying goes that, a

hungry man is an angry man. No wonder many western countries pay unemployed people
stipends or give them food stamps. We have a superfluity of unemployed people and graduates in
Nigeria and the jobs are not forthcoming despite the promises by politicians. Some of these
unemployed people take to wheeling-dealing while other ones inadvertently go into crimes to
survive. Dont forget that our society is such a place that the affluent like to flaunt their wealth
whether ill-gotten or not. So imagine where an average unemployed graduate that spent 4-5 years
in the higher institution is constantly intimidated by money-bags that probably never went to a
secondary school. Such unemployed graduate may be tempted to kidnap the so-called big-man or
any of his relatives and extort money from them.
There is paucity of a comprehensive database of ex-convicts or criminals in Nigeria. The
implication of this alone has far-reaching effects on instability and insecurity. There abound
cases of ex-convicts serving even in the Security Agencies. How can we combat insecurity when
we dont have a comprehensive record of those that have committed one offence or the other in
the past.
Also related to the above point is the fact that our Security Agencies needs to be more proactive
rather than been reactive. The ranks and file of our Security Agencies need constant training and
re-training. They must also be well-equipped to tackle the type of security challenges prevalent
today. You dont expect good result when a Police officer with just an O level is investigating a
Cyber crime. Their remuneration is also nothing to write home about hence they are not
motivated to do their job.
8. Nigeria is probably the only country I know of where the sale of chemicals and to a larger
extent, drugs are unregulated and where anybody and everybody can waltz into a shop and buy
any quantity of chemicals without questions been asked. Hence it is very easy for terrorist to buy
some of the raw materials and ingredients like acetone, fertilizers etc that can be used to produce
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). I recall an idea was mooted sometime ago for the
Chemical Society of Nigeria to be involved in licensing chemical dealers. I dont know if that
policy saw the light of the day. It is not late to enact a law if one is not existing that will
effectively regulate the selling of chemicals etc.
9. The recent SIM card registration exercise may just be a time bomb waiting to happen. One is
not aware of any Data Protection Act or law that stipulates how personal information should be
protected and penalties where there is a breach. As usual, the whole idea and exercise was
rammed into our throat. Deadlines for SIM registration were been bandied about, you will think
it was some kind of emergency. Of course dissenting opinions are seldom tolerated here and
offering constructive criticism makes one unpatriotic. The alacrity with which the whole thing
was done, you will think it is the panacea to all our security challenges. Billions of naira was
sunk into this project. There is nothing to show that the SIM card registration exercise is a
success. How are we even sure Mr A that registers him SIM is who he claims to be since we
dont have a comprehensive database of Nigerians? Dont forget that with roaming, one can use
the SIM card from any country in Nigeria. Even if all Nigerian are forced to register their SIMs,
one with a criminal intent can get an unregistered SIM from any other country, roam it and use it
to perpetrate criminality in Nigeria.

One is not sure if calls can be tracked in real time here in Nigeria. If this is the case, the most that
can be done is to work out the coordinates of the nearest telephone mast to the approximate
distance AFTER the call must have ended and a smart culprit must have moved.
Concentrating all our personal information-pictures, names, addresses, fingerprints etc in a single
database without adequate security is definitely a national disaster waiting to happen. Terrorists
can hack or access our personal information if they are not well encrypted or secured. My
fingerprint is very personal to me. Ones fingerprint is like ones blood; in fact it is even more
personal than the blood because no two individuals on earth have exactly the same fingerprint
whereas two or more people can have the same blood group and genotype. Hence it goes without
saying that if you want me to volunteer my fingerprint under whatever guise, I need a guarantee
that it will be kept safe and will not fall into wrong hands. The last time I checked, according to
global best practice, it is only the fingerprint of a convicted criminal that can be taken with or
without his consent.
10. Our borders are to say the least simply porous! With our extensive borders, people can waltz
in and out of Nigeria without detection. Oil bunkering is prevalent because our coastal borders
are not adequately patrolled. Proliferation of arms and ammunitions are also common-place
courtesy of our porous borders. The Nigerian Immigration Service, Customs, Navy and the
Nigerian Air force must synergize to ensure that our borders are effectively patrolled. If need be,
perhaps we can do what the Americans are doing in their borders with Mexico by erecting
perimeter fencing and electronic surveillance in particular hot-spots.
Solutions Proffered To The Aforementioned Problems.
Having identified the raison d etre of instability and insecurity in Nigeria, an attempt is hereby
made to proffer solutions.
If we must surmount the aforesaid threats to our well being as a nation, then we must begin to
tell ourselves the home truth no matter how bitter it may be.
One of the first and very important steps we must take to curtail instability and insecurity is for
us to embrace a Political system of government that gives more power to the federating units
rather than concentrating so much power at the centre. Even the so-called federalism we claim to
practice is adulterated. We have corrupted what federalism represents. True federalism as
practiced by the Americans will no doubt eliminate the frequent agitation inherent in our polity.
Sequel to our diverse ethnic nationalities, diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, One tends
to have an affinity for a system of government akin to the British model- devolution or a variant
of it minus the monarchy aspect. After more than 300 years or so of uneasy political marriage,
Britain with 3 or 4 constituent nations-England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland,
appreciates the need and benefits of devolving Powers to the constituent countries. Scotland inter
alia, has its own Police force, currency, parliament etc.
The problems and realities that gave birth to Nigerias civil war in 1967 are yet to be dealt with.
Whether we shy away from the home truth or not, the implacable geometrical trend in instability
and insecurity in Nigeria can be reconciled to the quest for Political Power and Relevance by the
various nationalities that people Nigeria. The Niger-Delta militants agitated and were promptly

pacified with an amnesty program and with one of their own emerging the Vice President and
subsequently the substantive president.
Several years ago it was the dreaded Maitesina that was unleashed terror. Today it is the Boko
Haram. Who knows, tomorrow, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign state of
Biafra (MASSOB) will be tempted to take up arms since violence is the only language that the
Nigerian leadership understands.
There was so much excitement over the offer of Boko Haram to negotiate with the government.
These guys are playing a dangerous hide and seek game with the Nigerian Government. They are
waging a psychological warfare and it would seem they have the ace. The Nigerian government
must not negotiate from a position of weakness or helplessness. Sometimes, an offer of
negotiation may just be a ploy by the other party to re-strategize, regroup, and advance. Let us
hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
This entire hullabaloo about negotiating with every group that raises its ugly head is tantamount
to postponing the evil day. Let us be ready for the consequences as we set a precedent of
negotiating with every irrational person or group. Something is not quite right with the
foundation of Nigeria, its high time we summoned courage and dealt with the nitty-gritty once
and for all rather than chasing shadows and postponing the evil day.
Secondly, to eradicate or curtail instability cum insecurity, we need to strengthen our judicial
system by ensuring that justice is dispensed no matter whose ox is gored. Nepotism and a culture
of impunity must also be eschewed from our national psyche and life. Nigeria must be an
egalitarian nation and not a country where there are two sets of rules-one for the rich and another
for the poor. Nigerians must not be made to suffer in the midst of plenty!
Thirdly, serious, concerted and visible effort must be geared towards exterminating corruption
and injustice in Nigeria. EFCC, ICPC must be INDEPENDENT! There must not be sacred cows
or smoke-screens! A situation where the Attorney-general of the federation or the minister of
justice can arbitrarily and unilaterally terminate or discontinue any case instituted by the EFCC,
et al, no matter the merits of the case, should be looked into as it is subject to abuse.
Measures must also be put in place to ensure quick dispensation of justice. In Nigeria, people
commit an offence that has say, a five years maximum sentence and they spend six years in jail
awaiting trial. Let justice be done and seen to be done.
Fourthly, merit must not be sacrificed on the altar of State of origin/Indigenship or the so-called
Quota system. Laws must be made that guarantees every Nigerian, the right to reside in any part
of Nigeria and be entitled to what every other person there is entitled to. I understand we have
such laws; those laws must not just be paper-tigers, they must be enforced and workable.
This issue is the root of the imbroglio in Jos and some other parts of Nigeria. The Hausa/Fulani
tribes in Jos are still seen as strangers even though some of them, their Parents, grand and greatgrand parents were born in Jos and have no other place as home.
Fifthly, we must strengthen and encourage our institutions. As Obama once said, Africa needs
strong institutions, not strong men. Our institutions must walk the talk and not just be papertigers. All citizens must be equal before the law. The culture of foisting candidates on the

electorate during elections must stop. Elections must be free and fair and a system should be put
in place that ensures only Patriotic and unscrupulous individuals hold positions of responsibility.
Similarly, unemployment must be seriously tackled and curtailed. The private sector must be
encourage and supported to create the much needed jobs. Constant electricity supply will no
doubt boost employment and increase productivity.
Lastly and very important is that we must jettison our fire brigade approach to solving problems
be it security or otherwise. More often than not, we wait until the harm is done before we start
running helter-skelter. We must embrace an intelligence gathering method. Problems, crises etc
must be nipped in the bud before they escalate. Prior to his death, Osama Bin Laden seemed to
be larger than life for about a decade but through intelligence, America finally tracked him down
and eliminated him.
Our Police and other security agencies must be well-equipped and trained/re-trained to tackle
present day security challenges. Qualified and bright individuals should be encouraged with
good incentives to enlist into the Security Agencies. The police must not be a dumping ground
for dullards. One is encouraged with the recent enlistment exercise of IT professionals into the
officer cadre of the Nigeria Police. Other professionals should be wooed too. The Nigeria Police
is also reported to have upped the ante by making Ordinary National Diploma and NCE the
minimum requirement for potential recruits into the Police. Recruitment exercise must be
transparent. Merit must not be sacrificed in the altar of god-fatherism. The Police forensic
laboratory must be well-equipped, funded and staffed with qualified personnel.
Security is not necessarily rocket science; no wonder even nitwits find very comfortable careers
in crime and terrorism. A lot of common sense can help to maintain security. The problem is that
common sense is no longer common these days. An iota of omission or negligence can have
severe security implications and consequences. Even the Scripture says, watch and pray.
Nigerians must be continually sensitized to be security conscious. We have a culture of taking
everything for granted over here. Security is a collective responsibility. Our lackadaisical attitude
to security must cease. In most Western countries, people take note of a new neighbor when s/he
moves into the neighborhood. You will be surprised you wander up and down a street in a typical
Western nation and the next thing you see are police cars blaring their sirens. Apart from the
security cameras everywhere, probably an elderly man or woman must have tipped the police
off. Here in Nigeria, most of us do not know our next door neighbor not to talk of other
neighbors living the next street. We dont know or care what our neighbors are into.
The National Orientation Agency, the State Security Service etc have to be more proactive.
Enlightenment campaigns must be ongoing.
Recall also that individuals and groups do not have a monopoly over terrorism. History abounds
of State terrorism where Governments by act of commission or omission, use instruments and
institutions of government to terrorize its citizens. We also have financial terrorism etc. Too
much wealth is in wrong hands in Nigeria and they can deploy it to destabilize the polity.
So government must not push its citizens so hard that they resort to criminality, violence and
terrorism. A hungry man they say is an angry man. Nigerians are generally peaceful and pliant.

All the aforementioned factors are intertwined; the sporadic interplay of them impinges an
unpredictable butterfly effect on the Stability and Security of Nigeria. Nigerians, let us Unite
Against Insecurity and Terrorism. Lets make Nigeria great again!
ELECTORAL SYSTEM AND POLITICAL INSTABILITY
No one can ignore the uncertainty and the volatility that are characteristic of todays African
political settings. The Nigerian experience is no exception of this instability. When instability is
qualified by the adjective political, a whole configuration of ideas comes to play. This is partly
because; the idea of politics refers to the manner in which a country is governed. According to C
S Nwodo, politics has to do with the manner of ruling a people and directing the lives of the
citizens of a country, of arriving at decisions concerning public affairs or matters of public
interest, of making fundamental choices and decisions that affect the lives of the citizens.[5]
Political instability would then mean a bad government, because the welfare of the citizens that
suppose to be its primary objective is not guaranteed.
Hornbys definition of democracy already mentioned, underscores the basic element of the
discourse. It throws light about the significance of election and the fundamental right of every
adult in a given society. The central idea linking democracy and electoral system is the good life
for the citizens, which could only be lived by active participation in the life of the city-state.[6]
When this fundamental right of participating in the city-state is denied him, the result could spell
anarchy for the polity.
It has already been pointed out that in a democratic government all adult citizens participate in
politics through their elective representative. This underlines the fact that, the stability of any
government depends largely on its electoral system. In other words, electoral system is the basis
for social development. Reversely, inapt electoral system no doubt will definitely lead to
anarchy. It is in this light that electoral system in Nigeria may be considered as the bane of
political instability in the country. A survey of the different elections so far conducted in Nigeria
lends credence to this assertion.
[5] Nwodo C.S, Political Stability and Social Well-being in Aristotles Political philosophy: Its
relevance to the Nigeria Situation in Africa philosophy and public Affairs, ed by Obi
Oguejiofor, ( Enugu: Delta Pub, 1998), 59.
[6] Urger R Law in Modern Society (New York: Free Press, 1977), 143.