Northern Part Of Nigeria Research Articles

Use of Lactobacillus plantarum as Starter Culture and Its Influence on Physicochemical, Microbiological, and Sensory Characteristics of Kunnu-Aya Produced from Sorghum and Tigernut

Kunun-aya is a traditional nonalcoholic beverage in the northern part of Nigeria, normally prepared from cereals. In this investigation Lactobacillus plantarum, isolated from fermenting kunun, was applied as starter culture during production of kunun-aya from varying combinations of sorghum and tigernut. The quality attributes of the product indicated increase in ash and protein contents of product inoculated with starter culture (PISC) over the uninoculated control sample (UCS). The highest values of 4.43% and 6.95% were recorded for ash and protein, respectively, in the product from fifty percent each of sorghum and tigernut (50SOR/50TIG). Titratable acidity was higher in PISC compared to UCS; the 50SOR/50TIG sample had the highest value of 0.92. The PISC recorded reduced counts of Salmonella, coliforms, and Staphylococci. The SCIS were preferred by panellists in the sensory attributes of appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and general acceptability. It was concluded that the use of L. plantarum as starter culture in the production of kunun-aya was advantageous as a result of enhanced nutritional, sensory, and microbial qualities recorded compared to UCS. Reduction in Salmonella, coliforms, and Staphylococci in PISC may be of public health significance. This on quality improvement of the traditional beverage has not been previously reported.

Climate Variability Impact on the Frequency of Occurrence of Mesoscale Convective Systems in Northern Nigeria

Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) form an important component of meteorology in West Africa, and in particular, contribute substantially to precipitation totals. Several authors focused majorly on the contribution of these systems to precipitation and the damages that accompanied it. But in the event of current climate change, it is expected that storm occurrences especially over the tropics will also be impacted due to variability or changing in climate especially in Northern Nigeria which has experienced some extreme weather events over the years. The study was carried out in eight (8) different states within the savannah region of Nigeria. Monthly total rainfall, mean monthly temperature, relative humidity and daily Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) (thunderstorms and line squalls) data of 31 years was used. Man-Kendall and Coefficient of variation (CV) method were used to analyze the data. There were various degrees of variations in some of the data analyzed based on the location of the station. The frequency of occurrence of these systems showed that its number (peals) decreases with an increasing latitude for stations north of 10°N with the north-eastern part of the country recording a decrease of almost one-third between 1981 and 2010. Hence, monsoon type of precipitation can be seen to be contributing more to the total annual rainfall in the northern part of Nigeria in contrast to earlier studies which gave Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) 95% contribution rate.

Challenges and Negative Effects of Divorce among Muslim Women in Northern Nigeria

<p>The alarming explosion of divorce in our present times is a cause of great concern. In fact the divorce rate in Northern Nigeria is high and this is scandalous. The mention of the word (<em>Talaq</em>) divorce has now become so cheap that in some marriages, every argument futures this word, either the husband threatens with it or the wife demands it. Hence women are married and divorce at will for minor reasons. This paper is therefore an attempt to highlight some of the causes of rampant divorce and its negative impact on Muslim women in the northern part of Nigeria. Some <em>Shari’ah</em> court cases were also examined in other to find out whether the Judiciary is invulnerable to the problem of divorce among Muslim women in Northern Nigeria. The study reveals that the challenges and negative effects of divorce are usually much stronger on the woman and her off springs than the man. These ranges from psychological trauma, immoral behaviour, Economic hardship, denial of custody, etc. Using descriptive and analytical methods, this paper interprets Islamic teachings as enshrined in the Qur’an and <em>Sunnah</em> with a view to proffering Islamic solutions on them. The paper recommends among other things, that parents and intending spouses should endeavour to find out the level of Islamic knowledge, habit, character of suitors/wives to be, prior to the marriage in order to prepare adequately for a successful association.</p>

Comparing the levels of performance of small scale local government contractors in Northern Nigeria with international practice

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare the performance levels of small scale local government contractors (SSLGCs) in northern part of Nigeria with international practice. Previous studies focused attention primarily on benchmarking the performance of contractors, but were mostly conceptual rather than from empirical findings. This continuous to pose a challenge to the sustainable development of the construction industry, particularly, in developing countries like Nigeria. There is therefore a need to identify, assess and compare performance practice levels of small scale contractors. Design/methodology/approach The performance of each contractor was evaluated using a five-point Likert scale used in obtaining mean performance levels in respect to three classes of performance practices. A questionnaire survey was administered to major parties in the industry; clients, contractors and consultants who were selected by using a proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The contractors’ performance was compared by using ANOVA with post hoc. Findings The results indicated that the SSLGCs in Nigeria were average performers and there were effects and differences among the various contractors’ levels of performance with international practice. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to SSLGCs in northern part of Nigeria. Practical implications The study provided the criteria for evaluation of SSLGCs’ performance in Nigeria and other developing countries that faced similar problems. Social implications The study created bases for self-evaluation and competition among small scale contractors in Nigeria for the enhancement of productivity particularly in rural areas and general national development. Originality/value This study emanated from the governmental reports and past researches in the area of performance management on the persistence of the poor performance of small scale contractors in construction industry.

Spatial variation of deterministic chaos in mean daily temperature and rainfall over Nigeria

Daily rainfall and temperature data from 47 locations across Nigeria for the 36-year period 1979–2014 were treated to time series analysis technique to investigate some nonlinear trends in rainfall and temperature data. Some quantifiers such as Lyapunov exponents, correlation dimension, and entropy were obtained for the various locations. Positive Lyapunov exponents were obtained for the time series of mean daily rainfall for all locations in the southern part of Nigeria while negative Lyapunov exponents were obtained for all locations in the Northern part of Nigeria. The mean daily temperature had positive Lyapunov exponent values (0.35–1.6) for all the locations. Attempts were made in reconstructing the phase space of time series of rainfall and temperature.

The Impact of Peace Journalism Training on Journalists’ Reportage of the 2015 Elections in Nigeria: An Action Research Case Study

ABSTRACTDuring the run-up to the 2015 general elections in nigeria, there was widespread trepidation within and outside the nation that the increasing cases of electoral violence and political intimidation ravaging the country would snowball into full-blown violence, and possibly plunge it into civil war. this fear was largely instigated by the 2011 election, which was marred by pre- and post-election violence. Human rights Watch (2011) estimated that the violence led to over 800 deaths in three days of rioting which engulfed parts of northern nigeria. since the First republic elections in the early 1960s, the nigerian media have been very involved in the political process. the diverse nature of the media makes its ideological inclination easy to decipher, because of reportage that is often tilted along ethnic and religious lines. using data obtained through participatory action research involving 40 purposively selected participant journalists, this article proposes an alternative method of news reportage using the peace-journalism model. developed by lynch and mcGoldrick (2005), the model encourages journalists to report social issues in ways that create opportunities for society to consider and value non-violent responses to conflict, using insights from conflict analysis and transformation to update concepts of balance, fairness and accuracy in reporting. it also provides a new route map which traces the connections between journalists, their sources, the stories they cover and the consequences of their reportage.

Terrorism and Moral Panic in Nigeria

<p>Terrorism and Moral Panic in Nigeria, is an investigation of the impact of terrorist attacks in the psyche of Nigerians. The sovereignty of the Nigerian state was threatened following the emergence of a terrorist group known as Boko Haram, which conquered a substantial part of Northeast Nigeria, using modern military hardware such as bombs, rockets, military tanks and high caliber machine guns. Boko Haram carried their terrorist attacks to many parts of Northern Nigeria, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which made the entire country to panic by creating genuine fear of insecurity in Nigeria. The study was conducted in August and September, 2015, in Abuja. A cross-sectional survey method was used to select 276 respondents by accidental sampling technique through the use of administered questionnaire. The study indicates that there were rampant terrorist attacks in Abuja, and the frequency by which people felt panicked was high. Also, the study found the role of the mass media in spreading information about the activities of the terrorists to be high. The study indicated high perception of personal risk by the respondents with a greater percentage knowing at least one dead victim of the terrorist attacks in Nigeria. The study recommended the improvement of the nation’s security network and public enlightenment as the panacea to the security challenges facing Nigeria at the moment.</p>

Suicide Terrorism: Perspectives from Muslims in Northern Ghana

Suicide terrorism has been on the rise in most parts of the world after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Ghana as a country is yet to experience any acts of terrorism but recent events in some parts of Northern Nigeria, Kenya, and Somalia and in the Arabian Peninsula have given policymakers a great concern. Some African Muslims with ties to radical Islamic organizations have embraced this phenomenon as a means of settling their grievances. This article attempts to examine the phenomenon of suicide terrorism from the perspectives of Muslims in Northern Ghana. The paper discusses some of the rationale behind the phenomenon and various efforts that have been made to address the psychology behind the phenomenon. It was established that individual psychopathology alone is not the only reason for suicide terrorism but intertwined with other social conditions. In order to develop the appropriate responses and policies to protect the people, there is the need to understand these social conditions. It concludes by discussing the reason why adopting combative approach to the issue has not worked and recommends the use of economic development as well as cultural integration in changing the psychology behind the phenomenon.Keywords: suicide terrorism, psychopathology, homegrwon terrorists; lonewolf terrorists

An Overview of Boko Haram Insurgency in Nigeria

This study attempted to carry out an overview of the Yussufiyya Boko Haram sect and its activities in Nigeria. Secondary data obtained mainly from National newspapers and the internets were used in the analysis. It was revealed that the sect emerged mainly as a reaction to western value system which was believed to have polluted our culture. Boko Haram which was once a social communal movement gradually metamorphosed into a vicious sect operating in some states of the north-east of Nigeria. The study also showed that Boko Haram had a dream of establishing a kind of Utopian egalitarian society and to achieve this task, recruited gullible youths to stage a Jihad in an attempt to Islamize, at least the northern part of Nigeria. The sect in recent past has evolved and proliferated to such a frightening point that it could engage the Nigerian military in full-blown confrontation in an attempt to pursue its ruthless expansionist ambition. This ambition has however, been significantly checked as the sect has been technically defeated and restricted to the sambisa forest. It is recommended among others that government should continue to use the carrot and stick approach in handling the insurgency while making attempts to have an understanding of the sects ideology as this will assist in the de- radicalisation process.

Assessment of annual minimum temperature in some parts of northern Nigeria

This work attempts investigating the pattern of minimum temperature from 1971 to 2006, an attempt was also made to predict the pattern from 2007 to 2030. The aim of the study therefore is to see the behaviour of minimum temperature as we study Climate Change in Northern Nigeria. This will enable us to know the trend of change for this study period. The following objectives helps in achieving the set aim; determine variations in minimum temperature, determine the trend of minimum temperature in the study area and predicting the values of the element for the period, 2007 – 2030, this was also subjected to time series analysis. The data was collected from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Maitama, Abuja. The length of data was thirty-six (36) years from eleven (11) stations. Simple Statistical Measures of mean, median, maximum, minimum, standard deviation, variance, skewness, kurtosis and coefficient of variability were used for discerning the patterns and distribution of minimum temperature. The results achieved indicate that the study area could be divided into two on the basis of low minimum temperature (1970s and 1980s) and high minimum temperature (1990s and 200s). During the predicted period, 2007 – 2030, mean annual minimum temperature continue to increase from 21.1°c in 2007 to 21.5°c in 2030. Minimum temperature varies slightly in the region, and it has not varied significantly over the study period.Keywords: Annual, Minimum temperature, predicted, variability, Northern Nigeria

The Nature of Internal Security Problems in African States: The Nigerian Experience

This paper examined the nature of internal security problems of African States using Nigeria as a case study. The paper sought to identify the plethora of security challenges confronting Nigeria with specific emphasis on the Niger Delta Crises, Kidnapping in the South-East geo-political zone, Jos Crises and Boko Haram Crises in the Northern part of Nigeria. The study investigated the extent to which man-tailored internal security problems impacted negatively or otherwise on socio-economic development of the Nigerian State, especially since 1999. The study adopted secondary data as its methodological orientation. The result of the analyses revealed that the national security policy of Nigeria which internal security is a sub-unit was weak to tackle violent security problems that confronted the country. This was partly because, policy makers lacked requisite knowledge to formulate robust internal security policies and effective strategies to mitigate insurgencies in the country. Rather, ad hoc security outfits have continued to dominate internal security governance in Nigeria since 1999. Therefore, the paper recommended among others, the need for recruitment of well-educated, versatile, honest and committed policy makers for the country through credible electoral process.

Regional Differences in the Optimal Utilisation of Antenatal Care in Nigeria

Many maternal deaths in Nigeria are as a result of pregnancy related complications that are preventable through utilisation of antenatal care facility. The World Health Organisation recommends at least four visits to an antenatal care facility to attain full life saving potentials for pregnant women and their unborn babies. As the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG 5), which focuses on maternal health and access to health facilities) approaches, it is important to evaluate the optimal utilisation of ANC and impact of regional differences. This study determined factors that affect optimal utilisation of ANC visits. The National Demographic and Health Survey, 2013 dataset on women aged 15-49 years who had their most recent birth in the last 5 years prior the survey was used for the analysis. Optimal utilisation of ANC was defined as four or more visits. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and binary logistic regression models (α=0.05). Mean age of women was 29±7 years and 53% achieved optimal utilisation. The identified predictors of optimal use of ANC were age, wealth index, number of children alive, and region among others. Women in the South-West were about 7 (OR=6.73, 955% CI=5.843, 7.758; p<0.001) times more likely to have had optimal utilisation of ANC than those in the North Central zone. This strength of relationship was retained after other socio-demographic factors were included in the regression model as control. Respondents aged 34-39 years were 2 times more likely to attain optimal utilisation of ANC facility compared to those aged 15-19 years (OR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.152, 1.946). Respondents who belong to the richest wealth quintile were about 3 times more likely to attain optimal utilisation of ANC visits (OR=2.86, 95% CI: 2.162, 3.775) compared to respondents in the poorest quintile. Optimal utilisation of ANC in Nigeria is still poor and differentials exist across the regions. Therefore, regional specific programmes targeting better utilisation of ANC visits among women should be provided particularly in the Northern part of Nigeria.

Differentiating Non-Homoscedasticity and Geospatially Extreme Outliers for Urban and Rural Landscape Dataset Using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficients for Quantitating Clustering Tendencies in Non- Vaccinated Measles Populations in Nigeria

Linearized Models on measles vaccination related centroids in literature cannot provide pertinent data for local government measles managers. Spatial analysis is a cost cutting epidemiological tool for large scale immunization programs. A multivariate regression model was constructed to determine anthropogenic related covariates. In addition, we quantitated the clustering tendencies in the auto- correlated dataset using orthogonal eigenvectors and also illustrated problem hot spots for effective vaccine coverage. Data was retrieved from Demographic Health survey 2013 for Nigeria (N=28,337). Poverty, illiteracy level, and no vitamin A supplements were strong determinants of measles non-vaccination at a statistically significant level of (P<0.0001). The first order autocorrelation statistics (DW=0.1647, P<0.0001), (DW=0.2406, P<0.0001); and second order correlation (Moran’s I=0.456, Z score=1208), (Moran’s I=0.442, Z score=608) demonstrated a positive spatial autocorrelation for rural and urban geo-locations respectively. Land cover land use (LCLU) maps from Google earth and Diva-GIS were uploaded into ArcMap to visually represent the hot spot areas. Significant Mapped data showed that children not vaccinated against measles are clustered in the rural areas of Muslim dominated northern parts of Nigeria.

Internal Migration and Welfare among Street Traders in Nigeria

This study examines the employment and income opportunities being enjoyed by migrants and non-migrants in street trading sub-sector of the urban informal economy in Nigeria. The welfare implication of such employment was also examined in the study using both the logistic model and the modified Mincer's model. The data for the study was generated from a cross-section study conducted in four geopolitical zones of Nigeria in the year 2011. These zones are the South-West, South-East, South-South and the Northern parts of Nigeria. The main instrument of data collection was the questionnaire administered in the selected cities. Analysis of data revealed that the majority of street traders interviewed are migrants, and about 72 percent of them reported improvement in welfare. According to the result of the earnings function estimated, migration variable is a statistically significant variable affecting welfare, among others. Therefore the need for policy measures that will create income and employment opportunities in the rural areas and cities cannot be over-emphasised.

The Effects of Boko Haram’s Insecurity on Nigeria’s Economy

Insecurity has been a major dare to the Nigerian government in recent times. The actions and activities of the Islamic sect known as Boko Haram had led to enormous loss of lives and properties in the countr, particularly in the Northern part of Nigeria. Some of these activities include intimidation, bombings, suicide attacks, sporadic gunfire of unarmed, blameless and innocent Nigerian citizens, burning of police stations and churches, kidnapping, raping of school girls and women. Nigeria has also been included amongst one of the terrorist countries of the world. This has serious implications for national development. Though government had made worried hard work to deal with these challenges masqueraded by terrorism and insecurity in the country but the rate of insurgency and insecurity is still disturbing. This study therefore, investigated the effects of Boko Haram’s insecurity on Nigeria’s economy. Data used for this study was sourced from online questionnaire, using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) method of analysis. The result showed that Ideology and funding are the significant basic factors that propelled the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria, the Boko Haram disaster poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s economy and that the military is the best option and solution in tackling the Boko Haram menace in Nigeria. The study recommended the following; government should declare war on terrorism and seek support from international communities who have in the time past faced this kind on challenged and were capable to tackle it. Nigerian Military ought to be empowered further with arms to wrestle this insurgency. The government is advised to beef up security in the country to curb the threat of insecurity.Keywords: Boko Haram, Insecurity, Terrorism, Nigeria’s Economy

English

The morphological characteristics of 12 selected sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) genotypes, from five states in&nbsp; northern part of Nigeria (Kaduna, Niger, Nassarawa, Kogi, and Benue), were evaluated during the 2012 cropping season at the Department of Biological Sciences experimental field, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria using a randomized block design. The objective of the experiment was to assess the performances of all the selected genotypes based on morphological parameters such as plant height, petiole length, number of leaves/plant, number of branches per plant and leaf surface area per plant. &nbsp;While NG01 had the tallest plants 2 weeks after planting, KG01 and NA01 had the shortest plants. &nbsp;Seven genotypes; (KD, NG-01, NG-02, NA-01, BE-01, KG-01 and KG-02 had positive characteristics (such as higher number of leaves and high number of branches) which could bring about high yield. These findings suggest that some of the genotypes could be potential parents for inclusion in future breeding programmes aimed at improving S. indicum in northern Nigeria. &nbsp; Key words: Sesamum indicum L., morphological characteristics, genotypes.

Phytochemical Screening and in-Vitro Antimicrobial Activities of the Leaf Extract of Acanthospermum hispidum DC (Asteraceae)

The study into the chemical contents and in-vitro antimicrobial activities of the methanolic leaf extract of Acanthospermum hispidum were carried out. The extract was evaluated for its antibacterial activity against four Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Corynebacteria specie and Bacillus subtilis) and four Gram negative bacteria (Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella phumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli). The fungal strains used were Aspergilus niger, Penicillium sp. and Candida albicans. The sensitive microorganisms (Conynebacteria sp., Pseudomonas aeragunosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) had zones of inhibition ranging from 12.20 ± 1.06 mm to 24.00 ± 1.00 mm at 100 mg/ml, while the standard drug (tetracycline 250 mg) had zones of inhibition in the range 20.27 ± 0.64 mm to 27.23 ± 0.68 mm against all the microorganisms tested in this study. The MIC/MBC against the tested organisms ranged from 25 mg/ml to 50 mg/ml and 50 mg/ml to 100 mg/ ml respectively. The results obtained from this study revealed that the leaf extract of Acanthospermum hispidum possesses antibacterial activity against some pathogenic microorganisms tested. The study confirmed the use of the leaf of Acanthospermum hispidum in some parts of Northern Nigeria as a remedy against diarrhoea, dysentery and other related diseases. In view of the reported uses of this plant, the present study investigated the antimicrobial effect of the methanol extract of A. hispidum on some Gram positive, Gram negative and some fungal species. Therefore, this study validates the medicinal use of Acanthospermum hispidum tradicinally in some parts of Northern Nigeria.

A Geo-Informatics Technique for the Management of Meningitis Epidemic Distributions in Northern Nigeria

This study aims at examining and mapping the spatiotemporal distribution of meningitis epidemic, in relation to climate variability, using GIS and Remote Sensing techniques. Using the northern part of Nigeria as a case study, data on meningitis epidemic were obtained from the archive of National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria for the periods between 1998 and 2013. The data were updated with collection from Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Also, Nigerian Ministry of Health has compiled consistent statistics on meningitis incidence for the periods. A meningitis distribution map was derived from an environmentally-driven form of predicted probability of epidemic experience as it is in International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) Database. The results showed that Meningitis Epidemic is very high during months with low rainfall. Thus, seasonality of rainfall and temperature are important determinants of Meningitis Epidemic incidence in the Northern part of Nigeria. Therefore, it can be confirmed, as cited in some literatures, that the distribution of the epidemics has a strong association with the environment, especially climate variability. Although meningitis surveillance systems in Nigeria have improved, they still fall short of the sensitivity required to demonstrate incidence changes in vaccinated and non-vaccinated cohorts and complementary approaches may be needed to demonstrate the impact of the vaccines. There is however, a need for a new technology and innovation like an integrated GIS, and other environmental modeling system, to allow health practitioners as well as policy makers, for better management, productivity and profitability.

Surviving the First Day in Nigeria: Risk Factors and Protectors

Background: Deaths occurring within the first twenty-four hours of life constitutes a large proportion of child mortality; about 36% of all neonatal deaths took place within the first twenty-fours of delivery globally. Nigeria contributes around 9% of the global first-day mortality. Objectives: To determine the levels and determinants of first-day mortality using the 2013 Nigeria DHS data. Methods: This study utilized the 2013 Nigeria DHS which is a cross-sectional involving a nationally representative sample of 38, 948 women aged 15-49 years. First-day mortality rates were estimated for all births within the past five year prior to the survey and disaggregated by background characteristics and Cox proportional hazard models were generated to assess the relationship between some background characteristics and first-day mortality. Analysis was conducted using Stata v13. Results: The first-day mortality rate was found to be 19 per 1000 live births which was found to be higher among younger aged women, overweight women, babies in Southern part of Nigeria, rural residents, male babies and those babies delivered in health facilities among others. Factors that significantly predict first-day mortality are maternal age of more than 35 years (HR=1.12, 95%CI: 1.01-1.24), residing in Northern Nigeria (HR=1.18, 95%CI: 1.10-1.26), living in rural areas (HR=1.30, 95%CI: 1.22-1.40) and increasing maternal education (HR=1.20, 95%CI: 1.10-1.32). Utilization of at least four ANC visits (HR=0.87, 95%CI: 0.80-0.93) and having postnatal care within 24hours (HR=094, 95%CI: 0.89-0.99) are all associated with decreased hazard of first-day mortality. Conclusion: First-day mortality rate in Nigeria is high; provision and expansion of both antenatal and postnatal care services particularly in rural areas and northern part of Nigeria will potential contribute in the reduction of first-day mortality.

Cycle of Bad Governance and Corruption

This article argues that bad governance and corruption particularly in the Northern part of Nigeria have been responsible for the persistent rise in the activities of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JASLWJ), Arabic for “people committed to the propagation of the tradition and jihad.” It is also known as “Boko Haram,” commonly translated as “Western education is sin.” Based on qualitative data obtained through interviews with Nigerians, this article explicates how poor governance in the country has created a vicious cycle of corruption, poverty, and unemployment, leading to violence. Although JASLWJ avows a religious purpose in its activities, it takes full advantage of the social and economic deprivation to recruit new members. For any viable short- or long-term solution, this article concludes that the country must go all-out with its anti-corruption crusade. This will enable the revival of other critical sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing, likely ensuring more employment. Should the country fail to stamp out corruption, it will continue to witness an upsurge in the activities of JASLWJ, and perhaps even the emergence of other violent groups. The spillover effects may be felt not only across Nigeria but also within the entire West African region.