Terrorism, insurgency economy, and human security in Borno state, Nigeria

Abstract

Terrorism is designed is to create sense of public insecurity, showcase State’s inability to arrest violence, and it is severally oiled by an insurgency economy that benefits all stakeholders except the masses as seen in Borno State in the northeast of Nigeria. Terrorism could be seen jeopardizing human security extensively and pushing children outside the literacy nets, into vulnerability of recruitment and radicalization and same goes for the farming communities whose produce are extensively endangered by terror cell groups’ heinous campaign in Borno State. It was against this background that this study engaged criminal deterrence theory to examine terrorism and its implication for security of Borno State. This study decompose insecurity into food security and education security. This study employs exploratory research design with reliance on publicly available archive documents. The study relies solely on secondary data. The research is conducted by examining literature concerning terrorism and human security. Literature from non-serial publications, official reports, and conferences has been included particularly if they have been cited by other references in connection with terrorism, food security, education security and terror cell groups. Findings from this study showed that activities of terror cell groups negatively affect education security and food security. This study concluded that there is the need for governments across board to identify and dislodge the insurgency economy profiting and prolonging the insurgency. This study therefore recommends that Borno state government in conjunction with intergovernmental bodies should consolidate further the Safe School Initiatives to further ensure safety of “at risk schools”. This study also recommends that the government across board should conscientiously stem the farming and market vulnerability of the farming community and prevent looming food insecurity.