{"title":"Merchants of terror: Proliferation of small arms and light weapons and human security challenges in Nigeria","authors":"Uchenna A. Aja","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2270532","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2270532","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTIn recent years, Nigeria’s security architecture has deteriorated due to conflicts and acts of violent extremism by non-state actors in possession of SALWs. Therefore, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons have resulted in armed conflicts, the displacement of people, organized crimes, and acts of terrorism, thereby undermining the peace, development, and human security of Nigerians, and by extension, Africa. The easy accessibility, destructiveness, simplicity and usability of the SALWs have made them appealing and a preferred choice for organized criminal groups and violent extremists resulting in huge human security challenges for Nigeria. In this context, the study examines the impact of the proliferation of SALWs and the peace, security, and development of Nigeria. The main interests are to first understand the intersectionality between the proliferation of SALWs and human security, and secondly to unpack the causes, channels, and casualties of the proliferation of SALWs in Nigeria. The author will also discuss the pattern and strategy of governmental response(s) to the proliferation of SALWs. The study recommends the adoption of a grand-national strategy comprising of governance-security nexus as a panacea to stem the tide of the illegal proliferation of SALWs in Nigeria.KEYWORDS: ProliferationSmall armsLight weaponsHuman securityNigeria Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Dokubo, C. The Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa: Implications for Sub-regional security.2 Stemmet, A. Regulating Small Arms and Light weapons.3 McCullum, H. Small Arms: The World’s favourite weapons of mass destruction.4 Kumar, S. Small Arms and Light Weapons: A Global Health to Human Security and Development.5 Small Arms Survey, Shadow of War.6 Lodgard, C., & Fung, A. The Global Spread of Arms: The Political Economy of International Security.7 Ibid8 Falode, A.J. Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Transnational Crime in Africa.9 Egbuta, U. The proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons: A nexus to Asymmetric Threats in Nigeria.10 Ifeadi, Cross Border Security Threats and Developmental Challenges for Africa: A Nigerian Immigration Service Perspective.11 Moses, T. Chart of the Day: Cost of Nigeria’s Insecurity.12 Alimba, C.N. Controlling the Proliferation of Small Arms in Nigeria: Emerging issues and Challenges.13 Adepegba et al Arms Proliferation worsens Insecurity as Firearms Bills Suffer Delay14 Akpuru-Aja, A. Policy Fields and Contemporary Strategic Studies.15 Dokubo, C. The Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa: Implications for Sub-regional security; McNamara, R.S. The Essence of security.16 Mcfarlane, Neil S. and Yuen Foong Khong ‘Human Security and the UN’.17 Imobighe, T.A. Dimensions of Threats and National Security Development Challenges in Nigeria.18 Zabadi, L.S. The National Security Decision Making Process in a Democracy.19 Dokubo,","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135929099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unethical practices and the role of traditional ruler-ship institutions in modern conflict resolution in Tivland, Nigeria","authors":"Emmanuel Ezeani, Emmanuel Terkimbi Akov, Kingsley Ekene Okoye","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2262969","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2262969","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTIn the past decade, there has been a surge in deadly internal conflicts in Nigeria. The state’s failure to decisively address violent skirmishes through its modern conflict-resolution mechanisms has resuscitated the debate on the role of traditional rulers in conflict resolution. Although the relevance of traditional institutions in conflict contexts has been well acknowledged in many studies, their complicity in the onset and preponderance of conflict remains understudied. Using a mixed qualitative research design, this paper interrogates the nexus between unethical practices of traditional rulers and conflict in Tivland, north central Nigeria. It hypothesises that in the examined case study, the quest for personal aggrandizement unwittingly heightened corrupt behaviour among traditional rulers, leading to conflict emergence and protraction. To curb the impunity that currently undergirds conflict in Tivland, we recommend that traditional rulers found culpable in conflicts should be dethroned and prosecuted as deterrent to others. Also, traditional leadership selection processes should be merit-based, as opposed to the current practice of offering stools to cronies of state authorities.KEYWORDS: Traditional rulersunethical practicescorruptiontraditionalistsmodernistshybridistsconflict resolutionTivland Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Blench, Natural Resource Conflicts in North-Central Nigeria.2 De Juan, ‘“Traditional” Resolution of Land Conflicts’; Boege, ‘Traditional Approaches to Conflict Transformation’; Enyi, ‘Security and Other Challenges Posed by the Fulani Invasion’; Osabu-Kle, Compatible Cultural Democracy; Ayittey, Indigenous African Institutions; Lewis, A Pastoral Democracy.3 Payne, ‘Rethinking Nigeria’s Indigene-Settler Conflicts’; Baruah, ‘Ethnic Conflicts and Traditional Self-Governing Institutions’; Crook, ‘The Role of Traditional Institutions’; Williams, ‘Leading from Behind’; West and Kloeck-Jenson, ‘Betwixt and Between’; Van-Kessel and Oomen, ‘One Chief, One Vote’.4 Paalo and Issifu, ‘De-internationalizing Hybrid Peace’; Fabbe, Kao, and Peterson, ‘Pre-Analysis Plan’; Lawal and Audu, ‘Traditional Institutions and Firearms in Africa’.5 Tivland, as used in this article, refers to the communities of native Tiv language speakers that are indigenous to Benue state. It therefore does not apply to the other speakers who are found in Nasarawa, Taraba, and Plateau states, among others.6 Crook, ‘The Role of Traditional Institutions’.7 Boege, ‘Traditional Approaches to Conflict Transformation’.8 Mutisi, ‘The Abunzi Mediation in Rwanda’.9 Zartman, ‘Conclusions’.10 Mutisi, ‘The Abunzi Mediation in Rwanda’.11 De Juan, ‘“Traditional” Resolution of Land Conflicts’.12 Lewis, A Pastoral Democracy.13 Ugwu and Enna, ‘Conflict Transformation in Nasarawa State’.14 Osabu-Kle, Compatible Cultural Democracy.15 Adom, The Tor Tiv Stool; Enyi, ‘Security and Other Challenges Posed by the Fulan","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135814204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Experiences of community policing forum members in liaison with SAPS, private security and community members regarding community policing","authors":"Angelique Antoinette Wantenaar, Doraval Govender","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2248095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2248095","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTCommunity policing plays a pivotal role both nationally and internationally in the reduction of crime. The purpose of this study is to highlight how community policing forum (CPF) members experience community policing in liaison with the South African Police Service (SAPS), private security and community members in the South West Tshwane policing area in Gauteng, South Africa. One-on-one interviews were conducted with 36 participants, purposively sampled from the Laudium, Lyttelton and Wierdabrug police precincts. Observations were also made in the different policing precincts. The data were thematically analysed. The results show that, owing to a variety of factors, the police alone cannot reduce crime in communities. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended wherein CPFs, private security firms and community members work together to mobilise their expertise and resources with the aim of attaining a safe and secure living environment for all citizens.KEYWORDS: community policing forums; collective efficacy; neighbourhood watch; community policing; criminal behaviour Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Notes1 South African Government, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa; South African Government, South African Police Service Act No. 68 of 1995.2 Collins Dictionary, ‘Community Policing’.3 Everbridge, ‘What Is Community Policing?’.4 Community-Policing-Definition-community-policing, 2023.5 Fleming, ‘Community Policing’.6 Cossyleon, ‘Community Policing’.7 Kuo and Shih, ‘Evaluation of a Community-Oriented Policing Program’.8 Fleming, ‘Community Policing’.9 McMurtry and Curling, Review of the Roots of Youth Violence (Vol. 3).10 Mbhele and Singh, ‘Criminological Exploration’.11 Moshood et al., ‘Role of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’.12 Wantenaar, ‘Criminological Perspective’.13 Ibid.14 ‘Centurion Crime Hotspots Identified’.15 Koch, ‘Joint Multi-disciplinary Operation’.16 Cohen and Felson, ‘Social Change’.17 Wantenaar, ‘Criminological Perspective’.18 Przeszlowski and Crichlow, ‘Exploratory Assessment’.19 Wantenaar, ‘Criminological Perspective’.20 Pala and Balcioğlu, ‘Community Policing in England, Wales, and European Union’.21 Joint Committee on Justice and Equality, Report on Community Policing and Rural Crime.22 Garcia and Polson, ‘Community Policing Relations’.23 Joint Committee on Justice and Equality, Report on Community Policing and Rural Crime.24 Ibid.25 Ibid.26 Weisburd and Majmundar, Proactive Policing,27 Everett Police Department, ‘Block Watch Program’.28 Conway, ‘Near or Far Away’.29 Ibid.30 Ristmäe, Estonian Neighbourhood Watch.31 Kocak, Rethinking Community Policing.32 Leishman, ‘Koban’.33 Ibid.34 Spasić and Radovanović, ‘Security Needs’.35 Skilling, ‘Community Policing in Kenya’.36 Ibid.37 Ordu and Nnam, ‘Community Policing in Nigeria’.38 Ibid.39 Vancouver Police Department, Community policing, 2020.40 ‘Neighbourhood Watch Scheme’.41 Vancouver Police Department, Com","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135616080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Adeola Samuel Adebusuyi, Odunayo Oluwasanmi Oluwafemi, Hauwa Mary Aigboje
{"title":"Perception of police misconduct and satisfaction with police: The role of confidence in police and legitimisation","authors":"Adeola Samuel Adebusuyi, Odunayo Oluwasanmi Oluwafemi, Hauwa Mary Aigboje","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2226118","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2226118","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTAnchored on the social exchange theory, this study investigated citizens’ perception of police misconduct on satisfaction with police through the mediating influence of confidence in the police and the moderating influence of legitimisation. The study is cross-sectional, and a sample size of three hundred and thirty-three citizens of Nigeria was recruited through an online survey. The data were analysed using Hayes's PROCESS macro, model 8. We found that the perception of police misconduct did not directly influence confidence and satisfaction in the police. However, the perception of police misconduct led to less satisfaction with police through low confidence in the police. Furthermore, we found that citizens high in police misconduct perception and high in police legitimacy were low in confidence in the police. Additionally, citizens high in police misconduct perception and high in police legitimacy were low in satisfaction with police through less confidence in the police. Finally, we discussed the theoretical and practical implications of this study.KEYWORDS: Police misconductpolice legitimisationconfidence in policesatisfaction with police Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Dia and Jiang, ‘Comparative Study of Satisfaction with Police’, 30–52; Dia and Johnson, ‘Is Neighbourhood Context a Confounder?’, 595–612; Gracia and Cao, ‘Race and Satisfaction with Police’, 191–99; Haberman et al., ‘Satisfaction with Police’, 525–57; Jiang, Sun and Wang, ‘Citizens’ Satisfaction with Police’, 801–21; Karakus, McGarrell, and Basibuyuk, ‘Public Satisfaction with Law Enforcement’, 304–25; Nivette and Akoensi, ‘Determinants of Satisfaction with Police’, 471–87; Reisig and Parks, ‘Experience, Quality of Life, and Neighbourhood Context’, 607–30; Sims, Hooper, and Peterson, ‘Determinant of Citizens’ Attitudes towards Police’, 457–71; Wu, Sun, and Smith, ‘Race, Immigration, and Policing’, 745–74; Wu, Sun, and Triplett, ‘Race, Class or Neighbourhood Context’, 125–56; Zhao et al., ‘Public Satisfaction with Police’, 394–420.2 Boateng, ‘Crime Reporting Behaviour’, 1; Bolger and Walters, ‘Relationship between Police Procedural Justice, Police Legitimacy’, 95; Kochel, Parks and Mastrofski, ‘Legitimacy and Cooperation with Police’, 918.3 Cao, ‘Confidence in the Police’, 243.4 Weitzer, ‘Citizens’ Perceptions of Police Misconduct’, 822–24.5 De Angelis and Wolf, ‘Accountability and Public Attitudes towards Local Police’, 232; McNeeley and Grothoff, ‘Racial Tension and Attitudes towards the Police’, 383.6 Lai and Zhao, ‘Impact of Race/Ethnicity, Neighbourhood Context, and Police/Citizen Interaction on Attitudes toward the Police’, 685; Ratcliffe et al., ‘Citizens’ Reactions to Hot Spots Policing’, 393.7 Wu, Sun, and Triplett, ‘Race, Class or Neighbourhood Context’, 125; Gabbidon and Higgins, ‘Role of Race/Ethnicity and Race Relations on Public Opinion’, 102.8 Dai and Jiang, ‘Comparative Study of Satisfaction ","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135858025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Boko Haram: Kidnapping as theatre","authors":"Emma Leonard Boyle","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2253800","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2253800","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTIn this paper I explore one specific type of violence that has not been the focus of significant research within Political Science: the kidnapping of girls and young women as an act of retaliation or revenge against the government. I argue that, through the dramatic kidnappings of significant numbers of young women and girls, Boko Haram is extracting revenge against the government for its policy of detaining female family members of Boko Haram members, including its leaders. Boko Haram is also using this to signal strength to both the government and the Nigerian population. In this paper, I compare the violence of Boko Haram in a time of strength (January 2014–March 2015) to the violence inflicted in a time of weakness (January–December 2016) to demonstrate that the group could only engage in retaliation against the government in a substantial way during the time of strength. Once the military begins to register victories over Boko Haram and diminishes the territory the group holds (and thus diminishes the strength of the group), the forms of violence used by the group changes and the number of kidnappings decrease.KEYWORDS: Kidnappingpolitical violenceBoko HaramNigeriaterrorismAfrica Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Observer Newspaper, ‘Nigeria Rejected British Offer’.2 Amnesty International, ‘“Our Job Is to Shoot, Slaughter and Kill”’, 59.3 Al Jazeera, ‘Two More Abducted Chibok Girls Freed’.4 Reuters, ‘Exclusive: Nigeria’s Chibok Girls’.5 Gilbert, ‘The Logic of Kidnapping in Civil War’.6 Eck, ‘Coercion in Rebel Recruitment’.7 Matfess, Women and the War on Boko Haram.8 See, Thurston, Boko Haram, 220, and Zenn and Pearson, ‘Women, Gender, and the Evolving Tactics’.9 Onuoha, ‘The Audacity of the Boko Haram’.10 Thurston, Boko Haram, 83.11 According to Peters and Berman, ‘the Sharia is the set of divine commands, transmitted by God through the foundational sources of Quran and Sunna, and fiqh is the human endeavor to identify and elucidate these divine injunctions’. In Nigeria, this debate over the implementation of Sharia law centred on the use of Islamic jurisprudence but the understanding of Sharia can be expanded to encompass ‘Islamic normativity in the fields of ritual, morality, and law.’ Peters and Bearman, ‘Introduction: The Nature of the Sharia’.12 MacEachern, Searching for Boko Haram, 11.13 Goitom, ‘Nigeria: Boko Haram’.14 Mantzikos, ‘Boko Haram Attacks in Nigeria’.15 Ibid.16 Waddington, ‘Evaluating the Impact of the Nigerian Military’.17 Owen and Usman, ‘Briefing: Why Goodluck Jonathan’.18 Thurston, Boko Haram, 238.19 Falode, ‘The Nature of Nigeria’s Boko Haram War’.20 Mahmood, ‘Boko Haram in 2016’.21 BBC News, ‘Nigeria Boko Haram’.22 Thurston, Boko Haram, 240.23 Ibid., 245–50.24 Ibid., 273.25 BBC News, ‘Boko Haram in Nigeria’.26 Vanguard, ‘Hundreds of Nigerian Troops’.27 Punch, ‘40 Boko Haram Fights Killed’.28 Cronin, ‘Don’t Forget About Boko Haram’.29 Hinshaw and Parkinso","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135864377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aminu Idris, Nsemba Edward Lenshie, Buhari Shehu Miapyen
{"title":"Border closure and border governance dialectics in Nigeria","authors":"Aminu Idris, Nsemba Edward Lenshie, Buhari Shehu Miapyen","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2253209","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2253209","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACTNigeria has 86 legal access points and over 1400 illicit ones, indicating some of the world's most porous borders. Numerous transnational crimes flourish along Nigeria's borders with other neighbouring countries due to the border's porosity. The government of Nigeria resolved in August 2019 to restrict its roughly 4,500-kilometre land borders with the republics of Niger, Cameroun, Chad, and Benin to reduce cross-border crimes. The government reopened the borders precisely three years later, in August 2022, acknowledging that, despite the benefits of the strategy, Nigeria's borders inherently porous. We investigate Nigeria’s border closure and the debate it has produced in border governance using dominant qualitative method comprising secondary and primary data sources. We contend that the reason Nigeria's border closure strategy has failed is not that the borders are porous but rather that border communities view the borders as merely physical boundaries that do not obstruct cross-border exchanges because these communities cherish their transnational social, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic connections. We recommend the government of Nigeria embrace a liberal rather than a realist stance on borders to address long-time challenges with border security governance between Nigeria and its neighbours.KEYWORDS: Borders porosityborder closureborder governancecross-border crimesand cultural affinity Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Friedman, ‘Redrawing the Line’.2 Idris and Tutumlu, ‘Nigeria and Niger Republic Trans-Border Management against Arms Trafficking: A Whistleblowing Model’.3 Hoffmann and Melly, ‘Nigeria's s Booming Borders’.4 Rufa’i, ‘Cattle Rustling and Armed Banditry along Nigeria-Niger Borderlands’.5 International Organization for Migration-IOM, ‘DTM Nigeria’.6 Idris and Tutumlu, ‘Nigeria and Niger Republic Trans-Border Management against Arms Trafficking: A Whistleblowing Model’.7 Ogbonna, Lenshie, and Nwangwu, ‘Border Governance, Migration Securitisation, and Security Challenges in Nigeria’.8 Ogbonna, Lenshie, and Nwangwu.9 Onuoha and Uche, ‘Smuggling of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products across Cameroon-Nigeria Borders’.10 Victor, ‘Border Closure: Experts Weigh Costs and Benefits’, Vanguard, October 20, 2019; Faleye, ‘Border Securitisation and Politics of State Policy in Nigeria’, 2014–17; Femi, Kingsley, and Oludare, ‘Gains of Border Closure Blown out of Proportion– Stakeholders,’ The Guardian, November 24, 2019.11 The Cable, ‘Border Closure Helped Nigeria Tremendously, Buhari Tells Queen of Netherlands’; Agbakwuru, ‘Only God Can Effectively Supervise Nigeria, Niger Border-Buhari’.12 Newman, ‘On Borders and Power: A Theoretical Framework’.13 Newman, ‘The Lines That Continue to Separate Us’, 143–61.14 Paasi, ‘Bounded Spaces in a ‘Borderless World’.15 Goldberg, ‘Transnationalism and Borderlands’.16 Simmons and Goemans, ‘Built on Borders’.17 Thompson, ‘Globalisation and the Ben","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135784907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking community security in Uganda: integrating community policing with intelligence-led policing","authors":"Anne Abaho","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2226115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2226115","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Contemporary changes in crime reveal the need to enhance law enforcement methods such as Community Policing with intelligence-based approaches for sustained community–police partnerships and improved community participation in ensuring safety. Community participation and partnership with law enforcers is essential for identification of threats and vulnerabilities, collection, analysis and sharing of crime data and problem solving. Uganda’s Community Policing has since 1989 focused on image construction, trust and confidence building for the police within the community and underscoring police relevancy in a transitional democracy while crime remained steadily high. The introduction of crime preventers and Local Defence Units (LDUs) to back-up police in handling crime, patrol neighbourhoods and gather intelligence has instead attracted accusations against law enforcers for excessive use of force, human rights violations and involvement in crime. Intelligence led policing (ILP) aims at enhancing community safety based on analysed information for strategic, operational and tactical benefits in crime prevention. Using secondary sources of data, the paper argues that while Community Policing has been preferred in crime prevention, intelligence gathering for purposes of investigating and preventing crime has remained poor. It recommended that Community Policing is integrated with ILP for effective detection, prevention, management of crime and enhanced community security.","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46701385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Shock and awe: Military response to armed banditry and the prospects of internal security operations in Northwest Nigeria","authors":"Folahanmi Aina, J. Ojo, S. Oyewole","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2246432","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2246432","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Insecurity has worsened in Northwest Nigeria, due to the threat of armed banditry, necessitating the deployments and operations of the military. While there is increasing academic attention on the origins, causes, and nature of this threat, the conduct, achievements, prospects, and challenges of the military’s counter-banditism response in the region remains understudied. Accordingly, foregrounded by the need to close this gap, this qualitative study contributes to the literature through organised empirical research by examining the conduct, achievements, prospects, and challenges of the military's Joint Task Force operation Hadarin Daji – its major internal security operation – against armed banditry in Northwest Nigeria. Data is obtained from secondary sources which include academic journal articles, books, official reports, press briefs by the military, reputable local and international news reportage. The study’s central argument holds that the nature and character of the military’s campaigns against armed banditry – a form of unconventional warfare, poses significant challenges to it as a conventional fighting force, consequentially contributing towards the conflict’s protractedness. Recalibrating the military’s readiness for and response to unconventional warfare remains critical to degrading and defeating armed banditry in Northwest Nigeria.","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48360591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Generation three and a half peacekeeping: Understanding the evolutionary character of African-led Peace Support Operations","authors":"Andrew E. Yaw Tchie","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2237482","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2237482","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT African-led Peace Support Operations (PSOs) were established to support the African peace and security architecture by developing integrated capacities for deployment in crises. However, since the deployment of the first African-led PSOs, there has also been the emergence of new types of African-led PSOs, such as the African Union Mission in Somalia; the Lake Chad Basin Commission Multinational Joint Task Force; the Joint Force for the Group of Five for the Sahel; the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique; and the East African Community Force in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The paper examines why African-led PSOs have emerged, arguing that these operations have allowed for increased African agency and shaped the African peace and security space. The paper finds that African-led PSO reflects a more regional and local-specific response in a declining era of new United Nations peacekeeping operations but has also resulted in an overreliance on force to solve the continent’s peace and security issues. Consequently, the paper arrives at a novel conceptualisation of African-led PSOs, positing that they represent generation three and a half of peacekeeping which focus on the effectiveness of force and the morality of using force to deal with insecurity and multifaceted crisis.","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42259464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Towards transformative reforms: The significance of political and economic reconciliation in Zimbabwe","authors":"Darlington Mutanda","doi":"10.1080/10246029.2023.2227151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10246029.2023.2227151","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Based on essentially two critical challenges Zimbabwe has faced in the past and in the present - democratisation deficiency and deepening poverty, this article argues for political and economic reconciliation as measures to enhance human security that has proved elusive for many years now. This is significant in transforming ‘jeopardised’ relations between the government and the citizens because of persistent political and economic challenges in the country. Zimbabwe’s political and economic crises can be resolved if holistic and earnest efforts are made to deal with inherent political and economic challenges that have had an impact on the security of the people and the state. The article used interviews and document analysis to assert that in the case of Zimbabwe, political and economic reforms are integral, and undertaking them can significantly transform relationships, which is an indispensable ingredient of human and national development.","PeriodicalId":44882,"journal":{"name":"African Security Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47947767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}