Insurgents to the rescue: How non state actors fill the gap in Nigeria

Abstract

Since the birth of the Fourth Republic, Nigeria has witnessed quantum leaps in the activities of insurgent organizations across her landscape. The failure of the political class to run an all-inclusive administration and to meet the basic needs of the citizens has created a huge vacuum to be filled by violent non state actors. These groups operate as alternative government in most of their domains where they provide amenities, security and some modicum of social justice. This work, driven by interdisciplinary methodology seeks to interrogate the root causes, features and manifestation of insurgent takeover of state responsibilities in some parts of Nigeria. The paper which reveals that inept leadership, wanton corruption, abuse of the social justice system and inequality were largely responsible for the spiralling outbreak of violent conflicts in Nigeria recommends that government should take the welfare of her citizens seriously so as to put a halt to her diminishing influence and reassert control over her land and people.