Terrorism And National Security In Nigeria: A Case Study Of North East (2014-2024)

Abstract

To provide options for ending the insurgency, this study aims to investigate whether terrorism has impacted Nigeria's national security in the northeast. The study's specific goals include identifying the threats that terrorism poses to national security, examining the reasons why terrorism persists despite collective efforts to prevent it, identifying the factors that contribute to terrorist activity, assessing the impact of terrorism on the national security effort, and formulating counter terrorism strategies for North East, Nigeria (2014–2024). This study used a survey design. Primary data was used extensively for the study. A cross-section of security officers was given 256 questionnaires. The study's findings show that terrorism has a detrimental impact on Nigeria's national security and that, among other things, religious extremism, poverty, unemployment, corruption, and illiteracy, particularly in the country's northeast, contribute to the rise of militant sects and their followers. Therefore, the study suggests that law enforcement and intelligence gathering methods be modernized and harmonized through interagency cooperation, the establishment of good governance structures, and a reorientation of Nigerian values toward nationalism, patriotism, civic engagement, and community policing. Additionally, for a smooth information flow to support the decision-making process, both formal and informal surveillance at the local government and district levels should be maintained and improved; this is where the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Vigilante groups become important to Nigerians.