An Assessment of the Nigerian Military Performance in Combating Armed Banditry: A Sociological Review of the Scenario in Birnin Gwari Local Government of Kaduna State (2015-2023)
1Onoja Anthony, 2Odumu Abraham Sunday and 3Ejeh Adoyi William
1Department of Sociology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
2Department of Liberal Studies Federal Polytechnic Kaura Namoda Zamfara State, Nigeria
1Department of Public Administration Federal Polytechnic Kaura Namoda Zamfara State, Nigeria
Email:goodmantony2002@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The widespread occurrence of armed banditry and the resulting risks to human security have become a matter of national security concern. The Nigerian military has been sent for domestic operations in the majority of localities, and they are being aided by international endeavours. They have greatly reduced the ability of the armed criminals. The objective of this study was to assess the Nigerian military’s capacity to effectively address the issue of armed banditry in the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, located in the Central Senatorial District of Kaduna state. The paper’s theoretical framework is Situational Choice Theory (Situational Crime Prevention). The research used a survey design for data collecting and employed qualitative methods for analysis. The Nigerian military has established a military operation called “Operation Whirl Punch” in Birnin Gwari to address the issues of murders, abduction of farmers and travellers, obstruction of local trade routes and theft of animals and crops. Ultimately, it is essential to establish a well-organised system of community policing and civil-military collaboration. Therefore, this article proposes the implementation of a novel security framework, along with the formulation of employment generation strategies. Additionally, it is suggested that the military should transition from their present defensive approach in combating criminals to an offensive one by integrating elements of Stealth, Surprise and Speed into all of their operations. The military should be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and essential logistical support, while also having access to reliable and useful information.
Keywords: Assessment, Banditry, Combating, Military, and Performance
CITE AS: Onoja Anthony, Odumu Abraham Sunday and Ejeh Adoyi William (2024). An Assessment of the Nigerian Military Performance in Combating Armed Banditry: A Sociological Review of the Scenario in Birnin Gwari Local Government of Kaduna State (2015-2023). NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT ISSUES IN ARTS AND MANAGEMENT, 4(2):114-119. https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJCIAM/2024/4.2.7114119