Citation

Oarhe O, Aghedo I. Afr. Secur. 2010; 3(3): 127-147.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/19392206.2010.503854

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The paradox of African statehood is a motif in a large body of literature by scholars and analysts in African studies. The weakness or outright dysfunctionality of several African public institutions is often employed as a deux ex machina to explain almost every African woe. Contrary to this mainstream analytical approach, we contend that institutional failure or weakness itself needs explanation. In this paper, we attempt to provide some explanations for the growing ineffectiveness of the Nigerian internal security apparatuses by unraveling how being embedded in a corruption complex not only undermines the security system but also spawns a web of insecurity in the entire country, as evident in the rampant cases of armed robbery, ransom kidnapping, ritual killing, assassination, ethnic militia, and sectarian violence.