Influence of Coronavirus Pandemic on Security Threats in Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

Abstract

Coronavirus pandemic is among the contemporary threats facing humanity. The devastations from its impact on means of livelihood of the people across the world have amounted to a disaster. This informed the seriousness given to its fight, which by far outweighs that given to fight other existing threats such as natural disasters, climate change and terrorism. This diversion of efforts towards the fight against coronavirus pandemic may have slowed down measures to contain prevailing security threats, with the implication of leading to their escalation or causing emergence of new ones. Whether or not there has been an increase or decrease in security threats/risks following the pandemic is a course for concern and a gap in knowledge. This study intends to breach this gap. Utilizing data from ACLED, this research examines the security threats/ risks experienced in Niger Delta region of Nigeria amidst the outbreak of coronavirus. Descriptive statistics and GIS were used in analyzing the data. The research compared security threats before and during the pandemic, and found that the prevailing threats were violence against civilians (ie, rape, abduction and sea piracy), agitations (ie, protests and riots), battles (ie, clash by armed gangs /government forces) and bomb explosions. The study further found that violence against civilians and agitations by residents were high during the pandemic than before as a result of restriction of movements imposed by government and inadequate provision of succor and palliatives to residents. The high agitations such as protests and riots are assessed to increase community transmission of the coronavirus in the region. It was concluded that the area remains at high risk of community transmission of the virus due to agitations and of the security threats due to the huge impact of the pandemic on the people. It is recommended that government makes adequate provision and proper distribution/allocation of palliatives to cushion its effect, stimulate the economy and shorten the length of recovery from the disaster.