The Nexus of Banditry, Farmer-Herder Clashes and Insecurity in Nigeria: Causes, Consequences and Policy Responses

Nigeria is grappling with a complex web of insecurity challenges occasioned by the dual factor of banditry and farmer-herdsmen clashes especially in the North East and North West of Nigeria. These dauntingly interconnected threats have resulted in hydra-headed consequences, such as loss of lives, displacement of communities, epileptic educational, socio-cultural and economic activities. While there have been age-long rifts between farmers and pastoralists, though their relationship is both symbiotic and competitive in nature; hence this has often times led to crises which heightened tensions, religious intolerance, marauding of villages, kidnappings, highway robbery and cattle rustling. Banditry on the other hand compounded the insecurity situations hovering around the country leading to humanitarian crises, food insecurity, and economic losses. These two interrelated issues have negatively affected the right to life, peace, freedom, and progress of people in Nigeria, resulting from the weak state security architecture. Individuals have been killed, exposed to psychological torture, displaced from their homes and subjected to harsh economic realities, as a result of banditry activities. It is against the backdrop that this paper seeks to interrogate banditry and farmer-herdsmen clashes, with particular reference to the causes, consequences and policy response. Some of the causes are attributed to various factors, including state weakness, poverty, inequality, and just to mention, but a few. Historical method was employed in the collection and analysis of data which were generated through secondary sources. Secondary data was generated from relevant textbooks, journal articles, and government publications.