The State and Internal Security Management in Nigeria

The essence of the state as acknowledged by many authorities is the provision of security and welfare for the citizens. It is, therefore, a fundamental responsibility of every state to ensure the safety of its citizens and others living within its territorial jurisdiction. In this regard, the incidence and character of insecurity in Nigeria has continued to raise serious doubts about the commitment and capability of the Nigerian state to provide adequate security for her citizens. The primary concern of this chapter is to lay the theoretical foundations for the empirical issues raised by the different chapters in this book. Though our main interest lies in the theoretical discourses about the state and the provision and maintenance of security, the chapter is particularly interested in understanding the experience of the Nigerian state. In this regard, the central argument of this chapter is that the dysfunctionality of Nigeria’s federal system, which is a product of the post-colonial character of the Nigerian state, has resulted in the politicisation of security structures and governance processes involved in security management. This, in turn, has negatively aggravated and sustained internal security in the country.