Insecurity in a pandemic era: a literary analysis of the nexus between COVID-19 and security challenges in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Nigeria has been battling insecurity due to the ravaging activities of different terrorist groups. The COVID-19 lockdown worsened the issue as it led to a hike in criminal activities. People were forced to sit at home for months and the unintended result of hunger and starvation prompted more criminal activities. While Boko Haram insurgents and Bandits have turned the North upside down with violent killings and abduction for ransom. Middle Belt is soiled with the blood of innocent people slaughtered by Fulani Herdsmen, resulting in food insecurity that has hit the nation so hard. But, the South is gripped with the fear of kidnappers, armed robbers, and unknown gunmen rampaging the society. Previous studies on the pandemic have paid little attention to the literary analysis of its relationship with security. Through Textual Analytical Criticism and Realism, Agary’s Yellow Yellow, Habila’s Oil on Water, Udenwe’s Satans and Shaitans, and Adimora-Ezeigbo’s ‘Mr. President’s Change Agent’ and ‘Dilemma of a Senior Citizen’ are analyzed in this study to explore pre- and COVID-19 era peace and security challenges in Nigeria and suggest ways of combating insecurity in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.